Meta has announced a major expansion of its artificial intelligence-powered business tools at its Conversations event in London. The update brings AI-driven messaging agents to businesses worldwide, along with new discovery features on WhatsApp and a dedicated platform for building advanced agentic experiences at scale.
Global rollout and Instagram expansion
Previously available only in select markets, Meta’s AI business agents — which handle customer queries automatically on Messenger and WhatsApp — are now accessible globally. The company says over one million businesses are already using these agents, and the feature is being extended to Instagram for the first time. Notably, Meta has confirmed that access will soon shift to a paid subscription model, with tiered options aimed at businesses of varying sizes.
A new platform for enterprise-scale agents
Meta also unveiled its Business Agent Platform, allowing companies to build and deploy AI agents that integrate with third-party tools such as Shopify, Zendesk, and Shopee. The platform includes enterprise-grade controls, guardrails, and measurement tools. A new WhatsApp search feature will additionally let users find businesses with active AI agents by searching their name or sharing contact details directly in chats.
The announcements signal Meta’s continued effort to commercialise its AI investments by positioning these tools as labour-saving solutions for businesses — though questions remain about reliability and user trust in fully automated customer interactions.