Meta is making a massive play to move beyond its traditional advertising model, and it is using artificial intelligence to do it. During a company event in London, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the “Meta Business Agent,” a new tool designed to handle everything from customer service to closing sales across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
From chatbots to employee status
Most people are used to basic, repetitive retail chatbots that only offer generic replies. Meta, however, wants to change that dynamic completely. The new Business Agent can actively interact with customers, recommend products, book appointments, and finalize transactions. While human owners can step into the conversation at any moment, the ultimate goal is much larger. Zuckerberg noted that as underlying AI models advance, these agents will eventually help entrepreneurs run their entire operations.
The company is also building behind-the-scenes “agentic capabilities.” These upcoming features will allow the AI to conduct market research, analyze competitor intelligence, look into product insights, and sync directly with digital calendars. For tech-heavy setups, a new Business Agent Platform will even let users connect third-party data from established services like Shopify and Zendesk to keep customer experiences highly personalized.
The Global Rollout and the Catch
This is not an entirely unproven experiment. Meta previously tested a free version of the tool in select markets like India, Mexico, and Brazil. Over a million small businesses quickly signed up to the “pilot program.” Now, the tool is expanding globally to any business operating on Meta’s core messaging apps. Zuckerberg emphasized that this technology allows a local clothing shop or a small neighborhood bakery to offer the same 24/7 customer experience as a multi-million dollar brand.
Of course, this rollout comes with a predictable catch. Meta currently relies on digital advertising for roughly 98% of its revenue and has historically struggled to sell standalone products. To monetize its massive AI investments and compete with rivals like Microsoft, Amazon, and the viral open-source platform OpenClaw, Meta will not keep this tool free forever.
Getting started costs nothing right now. However, Meta plans to move the Business Agent behind a paid subscription under its newly minted “Meta One” brand in the coming months. Meanwhile, larger enterprises using the WhatsApp Business Platform will pay for the AI’s services on a consumption basis, mirroring how they already pay for standard outgoing messages.
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