Meta announced a wave of new AI-powered messaging features at its Conversations event in London on June 3, 2026. The updates expand its business agents, improve business discovery on WhatsApp, and introduce a platform for building advanced agentic experiences.
As Meta states:
More than one million businesses are already using a Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp and Messenger to respond to customers around the clock. And because a billion people already connect with businesses on WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram every day, your Business Agent can deliver more relevant, personalised experiences from the very first interaction.
First, Meta is expanding access to its AI-powered business agents globally. Businesses can set these agents up to answer common customer questions through Messenger and WhatsApp. The agents provide automated responses and collect customer details from interactions. As a result, they reduce manual labor and improve customer service around the clock.
Meta originally offered the option in selected markets. It is now extending that access worldwide. According to Meta, more than one million businesses already use a Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp and Messenger. The company noted that a billion people connect with businesses across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram every day, so agents can deliver personalized experiences from the first interaction. Meta is also bringing these agents to Instagram.
However, the feature will not stay free. Meta confirmed that in the coming months, businesses will access the agent through its paid subscription offerings, with options for businesses of every size. In short, companies that want a Meta-powered AI bot will soon need to pay for it.
Meta also wants to connect users with businesses through a new WhatsApp search option. Starting soon, people will be able to find businesses by typing their name in the search bar, or by sharing a phone number or contact card in chats. This helps customers reach businesses faster and get quicker responses.
The company is expanding agent capabilities for business owners too. A business agent will soon deliver rundowns of key notes and queries, keeping owners informed. Meta said future versions will help run daily operations, including market research, product insights, calendar management, and competitive intelligence. The addition could boost the practical value of Meta’s AI tools, though it also places significant trust in technology prone to errors and missed data.
Finally, Meta announced a new Meta Business Agent Platform. It lets businesses build and deploy agents at scale. The platform connects with other tools like Shopify, Zendesk, and Shopee, allowing Meta’s AI to handle more tasks. It also includes enterprise-grade controls, guardrails, and measurement tools, so each user can define their own rules and processes. You can waitlist on Meta Business Agent Platform here.
Meta is still searching for valuable applications for its AI tools as it works to justify massive AI spending and showcase future revenue potential. All the updates align with Meta’s push to show its AI can replace human labor, increase efficiency, and cut costs. Whether these tools deliver remains to be seen, especially as consumer sentiment continues to turn against AI.
