WhatsApp is introducing a new artificial intelligence powered feature for businesses called Meta Business AI Agent, designed to automate customer support and simplify communication management through WhatsApp Business. The feature is now rolling out globally and is available to businesses of all sizes using the latest version of WhatsApp Business on Android and iOS. According to Meta, the AI assistant is intended to help organisations manage increasing customer communication demands by automating routine interactions and providing faster responses across digital channels. Businesses that do not yet see the feature within the business tools section are advised to update WhatsApp Business to the latest version to access the functionality.
Meta announced the Business Agent during Conversations 2026, positioning it as an AI powered assistant capable of managing customer interactions at scale. As businesses increasingly rely on WhatsApp for customer communication, responding to growing message volumes while maintaining consistent service has become more complex. Meta said the Business Agent can simultaneously manage multiple conversations and provide real time responses to customer inquiries, helping businesses remain responsive even during busy periods. The AI assistant is designed to remain active throughout the day, allowing companies to maintain communication with customers outside regular business hours. According to Meta, the system can support the entire customer journey by answering questions, assisting with issue resolution and helping guide users toward purchasing decisions or service outcomes. While the technology automates routine conversations, businesses continue to control how the AI behaves, when it responds and when human intervention becomes necessary.
Businesses can customise the AI assistant to align with their communication style and operational needs. Meta said companies can train the Business Agent to sound more consistent with their existing brand voice by allowing it to learn from prior customer conversations. If enabled, the AI can analyse historical chat interactions and adopt communication patterns already used by the business when responding to customer queries. Alternatively, businesses may choose not to provide access to earlier conversations and configure the assistant independently, though Meta noted that the AI may require additional interaction time to improve response quality in such cases. Once activated, businesses can further manage and refine the assistant through a dedicated “Your AI agent” chat, where they can update information, adjust responses and continue training the system over time.
The Business Agent also introduces different levels of automation based on organisational preferences. Businesses can choose a manual response mode called “My reply,” where all communication remains human controlled without AI involvement. Another option, known as “Suggestions,” provides AI generated replies that staff members can choose whether to send. Organisations may also allow the AI to participate directly in customer interactions, with settings adjustable through the chat interface at any time. Meta said the Business Agent extends beyond WhatsApp and also works across Instagram and Messenger, enabling businesses to maintain consistent customer support regardless of where conversations begin. The feature is currently rolling out globally across iOS, Android and Meta’s Business Platform, allowing businesses of different sizes to set up their own AI powered customer assistant directly through WhatsApp Business.
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