WhatsApp Business is getting a number of new features, including a major artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade that helps business owners intelligently automate some of their communications on the platform. The social media giant announced a new AI-powered chatbot for WhatsApp Business during an event in São Paulo. It also introduced the Meta Verified badge for those users. India is among the first markets to get these features. In addition, the company is also testing the call function for business accounts.
WhatsApp Business is getting an AI assistant
In previous months, Meta launched chatbots powered by its Llama-3 AI model for WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in multiple markets. The Meta AI chatbot comes with all the general text capabilities of a large language model. In addition, it can also generate images. Now the company is rolling out a similar AI assistant for WhatsApp Business users.
In an editorial announcement, Meta said: “We’re training AI to answer the most popular questions businesses receive on WhatsApp, so they can quickly help users find the answers they’re looking for.” It looks like the feature will not just send pre-written responses but will intelligently offer help based on the user’s needs and requests. It can also be used to advertise products and services to those who may be interested in them. The company aims to innovate communication automation with AI technology so that businesses rely more on them.
The feature is currently in testing, but will roll out in India and Singapore, followed by Brazil in the coming days. It is not known whether it will be rolled out in a limited capacity or for all WhatsApp Business users in the country.
After rolling out on Facebook and Instagram, Meta Verified badges are now rolling out to WhatsApp Business accounts. These badges will appear as a white check mark inside a green star circle next to the company name. The badge will denote companies that have registered their data with Meta and receive advanced account support from the company. The Meta Verified badge will appear on the WhatsApp channel and the custom WhatsApp business page. Meta Verified Badges have started appearing in India, Brazil, Indonesia and Colombia.
Additionally, the social media giant is also testing the calling feature for WhatsApp Business account holders. This will allow users to call larger companies on WhatsApp. Meta says this will allow companies to quickly resolve their issues and get help with complicated claims. The social media giant did not specify a timeline for the launch of the feature.
