WhatsApp Business adds voice calling AI agents and unified ads

Meta is rolling out significant updates to WhatsApp Business, including voice calling, AI agents, and unified campaign management across its platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram). These enhancements aim to position WhatsApp as a primary tool for businesses to scale operations and engage customers more effectively.

Key Updates:

1. Unified Ad Management: Businesses can now manage marketing campaigns centrally via Meta Ads Manager, streamlining creatives, budgets, and setups. This includes the upcoming WhatsApp Status ads, a new discovery tool for businesses.

   

2. Voice Calling for Large Businesses: WhatsApp Business Platform users will soon support voice calls with customers, with plans to add video calls and voice messages for scenarios like telehealth.

   

3. AI Agents: Meta is testing Business AI agents that can handle customer queries, provide recommendations, and follow up via WhatsApp. These agents will mirror businesses’ tones and styles, with initial tests in the U.S. and expansion to Mexico.

4. Voice-Enabled AI: Meta is exploring voice interactions for AI agents, allowing customers to tap “Tap to talk” in Facebook ads to converse with Business AIs.

Strategic Importance:

• Business messaging is now a core revenue pillar for Meta, diversifying beyond traditional ads. India, a major market for paid messaging, is central to this growth.
• Click-to-WhatsApp ads (CTWA) drive customer engagement, with AI helping businesses scale responses to ad-driven demand.

For more details, read Meta’s earlier announcement on WhatsApp ads and AI chatbots.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that AI agents will soon be as ubiquitous as email or social media for businesses, calling them a “true extension of your team.”