WhatsApp Business now offers AI-powered customer support and ads
Meta has unveiled new AI-powered features for its WhatsApp Business app, as announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Meta Conversations conference in Brazil. The tools are designed to aid businesses in creating click-to-WhatsApp ads and responding to customer inquiries. Nikila Srinivasan, Meta's vice president of business messaging, stated that these AI tools will be used for better marketing optimization and to help businesses move away from spamming potential customers.
Enhancing customer interaction for business
WhatsApp Business users can now utilize AI to create Instagram and Facebook ads that initiate a chat with a business on WhatsApp. Meta is also experimenting with AI-driven customer support, which will automatically respond to customer inquiries related to frequently asked questions (FAQs) or catalogs. The customer support feature is currently being tested with select merchants in India and Singapore, with plans for expansion to Brazil.
Transparency measures for AI-generated messages
In a bid to maintain transparency, Meta plans to clearly label AI-generated messages so customers know they are not interacting with a human representative. The company also intends to use AI to send messages to specific subsets of people who have signed up for updates from a business, rather than all customers. This approach would ensure clear and targeted communication with its users.
AI tools offered free to boost conversations
Meta is offering its AI tools for free, targeting merchants who may not wish to purchase additional tools. This move comes as the company's primary revenue driver on the WhatsApp Business platform is increased conversations between businesses and customers. With the introduction of these AI tools, Meta hopes to boost the number of these interactions, thereby enhancing its revenue generation potential.
Revolutionizing conversational commerce
According to a joint report by Meta and Bain & Co., there is significant potential for scaling conversational commerce with generative AI-powered assistants. In countries like India, these tools could transform consumer conversations into more multimodal, vernacular, and intuitive interactions. The introduction of these AI features is expected to significantly enhance the user experience in the realm of conversational commerce.
Services for business verification and API integration
Meta has also introduced its Meta Verified program for WhatsApp Business users in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Colombia, with plans to expand to more countries in the future. Subscription plans for this service begin at $14 per month. The program was initially limited to Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, the company is enhancing its messaging service for businesses by introducing new features and allowing companies to use their APIs to provide customer service through in-app calls.
