Meta unveiled its Meta Business Agent at the Conversations event in London, bringing AI automation to businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. The tool handles customer interactions, appointment booking, and can even close sales while allowing human owners to intervene when needed. This represents a significant expansion beyond basic chatbots.

The company has been testing these agents with small businesses in India, Mexico, and Brazil, reporting over one million sign-ups. Business owners can use the agent to conduct market research, surface product insights, and manage calendars through upcoming advanced capabilities. However, these premium features remain on a waitlist for now.

Meta's broader vision, articulated by Mark Zuckerberg, positions these agents as future tools to "run your whole business." This ambition requires continued advancement of the company's underlying AI models to handle complex operational tasks.

While getting started remains free, Meta plans to shift the service behind subscription offerings in coming months. This monetization strategy could transform how small businesses operate on Meta's platforms, though adoption rates will depend on pricing and feature rollout timing.