What happened
Meta, via WhatsApp's Business API policy update, will prohibit general-purpose AI chatbots, including Microsoft's Copilot, OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke, from January 15, 2026. This change restricts the API's use to specific business tasks like customer support, travel bookings, and order processing. Consequently, only Meta AI will function as a general-purpose AI chatbot on WhatsApp, removing third-party broad AI functionalities previously available. The stated rationale is to alleviate system strain from high message volumes.
Why it matters
This policy change introduces an operational constraint for organisations utilising third-party general-purpose AI chatbots via WhatsApp's Business API. The removal of services like Copilot creates a service discontinuity, requiring procurement and IT operations teams to identify and implement alternative communication channels or AI integration methods for broad AI functionalities. This raises due diligence requirements for maintaining continuity of AI-driven workflows and managing the transition away from WhatsApp for these specific services. The burden falls on platform operators and business units to adapt existing processes.
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