Meta AI Agent: To put it simply, this AI agent would be a company’s digital employee capable of working around the clock.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg now envisions AI doing more than just assisting individuals; he wants it to manage operations for businesses, both large and small. To this end, the company recently launched a new AI agent capable of interacting with customers on behalf of businesses across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. It can answer questions, book appointments, and even finalize sales. Simply put, this AI agent acts as a digital employee for the company, capable of working around the clock.
Imagine you run an online bakery. Currently, when customers message to order a cake, you or your staff have to respond. The new AI agent will handle these interactions directly—presenting cake options and prices, taking orders, and providing delivery details. In short, many tasks will be completed without human intervention.
How can it be used?
To use this AI agent for your business, you will first need a Meta Business Suite or WhatsApp Business account. Meta is gradually rolling out this feature to business owners.
Once the feature is available, business owners can train the AI with details regarding their products, prices, stock levels, business hours, and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Subsequently, when a customer sends a message via WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram, the AI will respond automatically.
Business owners can also determine which questions the AI should answer and when the conversation should be handed over to a human employee.
Used by 1 million businesses
The company stated that this AI agent has already undergone limited testing in select countries, and approximately one million businesses are currently using it. While the service is currently free, it will transition to a subscription-based model in the coming months, meaning businesses will have to pay for it. There may be distinct plans tailored for small and large businesses. Meta is also introducing a separate AI platform designed for large enterprises.
New platform launched for large businesses
Meta has also introduced a new platform called the Meta Business Agent Platform. With this, large companies will be able to create custom AI agents tailored to their needs and deploy them at scale. The platform will support integration with hundreds of business tools, such as Shopify and Zendesk, enabling AI agents to directly access company systems and execute various tasks. Currently, businesses can use the Meta Business Agent free of charge. (REF.)
