Meta Targets Business AI Market With Agents That Close Sales

Meta, Whatsapp, Instagram, Messenger

Meta has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) agent that is designed to help businesses communicate with their customers through the company’s WhatsAppMessenger and Instagram platforms.

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    The new Meta Business Agent is based on one that is already being used by businesses on WhatsApp and Messenger. Now, it’s being expanded to businesses of all sizes globally and to Instagram, the company said in a Wednesday (June 3) press release.

    Meta Business Agent responds in customers’ local languages and can answer questions, make product recommendations, book appointments, qualify incoming leads and close sales. The agent can also let the business decide when a team member should step in to provide support, according to the release.

    The agent can also provide businesses with a briefing that will summarize its recent chats and provide insights.

    Meta plans to expand the agent’s capabilities so that it can conduct market research, surface product insights, connect with tools to manage the user’s calendar and provide competitive intelligence.

    Meta Business Agent is free to businesses at launch but will become a paid subscription offering in the coming months.

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    Meta also announced Wednesday that it is introducing an agentic platform that helps businesses build, customize and deploy Business Agents at scale; connect to ShopifyZendeskShopee and other systems so the agents can take action on behalf of the business; and, for larger businesses, use enterprise-grade controls, guardrails and measurement.

    The Meta Business Agent Platform works alongside WhatsApp’s Business Platform and supports Messenger and Instagram, per the release.

    Clara Shih, who was Meta’s head of business AI at the time and is now senior advisor, told CNBC in March 2025 that Meta was planning a major expansion of its AI offerings for businesses that use its social media and other platforms.

    “Very soon, each of those businesses are going to have these AIs that can represent them and help automate redundant tasks, help speak in their voice, help them find more customers and provide almost like a concierge service to every single one of their customers, 24/7,” Shih said.

    The Meta Business Agent arrives at a time when Meta is targeting enterprise AI as it seeks to add new revenue streams.

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