Meta unveiled Business AI yesterday, an artificial intelligence-powered service designed to help companies deliver personalized customer support across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and third-party websites. This tool represents the social media giant’s most ambitious effort yet to generate revenue from AI investments outside its core advertising business.

Business AI learns from a company’s existing social media posts, advertising campaigns, and website content to provide tailored responses and guide customers through the entire journey—from product discovery to purchase completion. Clara Shih, Meta’s business AI leader who joined from Salesforce in late 2024, explained the tool aims to “deliver that personalized support seven days a week that essentially every consumer, every person, expects from businesses.”

Pricing Structure and Market Competition

Meta’s timing coincides with growing competition in the AI agent space—Amazon introduced its own AI assistant for third-party sellers just last month. Meta’s Business AI comes free when integrated with Facebook and Instagram advertising, allowing customers to ask questions and make purchases directly through ads. However, businesses wanting to deploy the assistant on their own websites face an undisclosed fee, which Meta describes as lower than “market alternatives.”

The service initially rolled out in Mexico and the Philippines on WhatsApp and Messenger, with broader global expansion planned for 2026. American companies can already implement Business AI on their websites and within Meta advertising campaigns. Meta is partnering with major enterprise platforms including Salesforce, Microsoft, ServiceNow, and Zendesk to handle complex customer inquiries that exceed the AI’s capabilities.

Data Usage Policy Changes Raise Privacy Questions

The Business AI launch comes alongside controversial shifts in Meta’s data usage policies. Starting December 16th, the company will use conversations with Meta AI to personalize content and advertising across its platforms, with no opt-out available for users. The policy includes an exception preventing discussions about sensitive topics—religion, health, or politics—from being used for ad targeting.

Meta’s broader AI strategy encompasses additional tools announced yesterday, including AI-generated music for video advertisements, multilingual dubbing features, and virtual fitting rooms where shoppers can upload photos to see how clothing looks on them. The company also introduced a Meta AI business assistant within Ads Manager to help advertisers optimize campaigns and resolve account issues.

The customer support agent represents Meta’s bet that businesses will pay for AI tools that reduce support costs while maintaining service quality. Whether companies find value in another AI assistant amid a crowded market of similar offerings from Google, Amazon, Salesforce, and others remains an open question. Meta’s advantage lies in its massive user base across multiple messaging platforms, potentially making it easier for businesses to reach customers where they already spend time rather than directing them to separate support channels.