Meta is rolling out WhatsApp Business Agent globally, allowing businesses to use AI to respond to customer messages, close sales, and book appointments. This represents Meta's first major attempt to commercialize its multibillion-dollar AI investment beyond advertising. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg predicted this shift would happen faster than expected.

The new service comes as WhatsApp business revenues hit a $2 billion annualized run rate, though this remains a small fraction of Meta's $200 billion total sales. Small businesses will now pay monthly subscriptions for AI responses, while larger companies will pay based on interaction volume and complexity as Big Tech shifts to metered AI access.

Unlike personal messages, WhatsApp AI interactions will not be end-to-end encrypted, meaning both Meta and businesses can read these messages. WhatsApp acquired the platform in 2014 for $19 billion but has struggled to monetize it effectively due to privacy concerns. The Business Agent aims to change that by enabling paid messaging at scale.