Meta Unveils Business Agent To Expand Enterprise AI Push
Meta Platforms has introduced a new artificial intelligence agent designed to help businesses manage day-to-day operations, marking a significant step into the enterprise AI market. The announcement came at the company’s WhatsApp-focused Conversations conference in London and highlights Meta’s broader ambitions to expand the commercial use of its AI technologies.
The new Business Agent builds on Meta’s existing business messaging services. However, it moves beyond traditional chatbot functions by offering agentic capabilities that allow the assistant to take actions on behalf of businesses. These actions include booking calendar appointments, processing payments, placing orders and helping complete sales.
Business Agent Expands Existing Messaging Tools
Meta said that more than one million businesses already use earlier chatbot versions of similar agents across WhatsApp and Messenger. The company will now extend the upgraded version to Instagram while rolling it out globally to businesses of all sizes.
The Business Agent can be customised to reflect a company’s preferred tone of communication. In addition, it can answer frequently asked questions, qualify potential customers and direct more complex enquiries to human staff when necessary.
Initially, businesses will be able to use the tool free of charge. However, Meta plans to introduce paid subscription options in the coming months.
Meta Targets Growing Enterprise AI Market
The launch signals Meta’s intention to compete more directly with other companies developing enterprise AI applications. By leveraging the scale of WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, Meta aims to position its AI tools as a core part of business operations.
Naomi Gleit, Meta’s head of product, described the initiative as a clear enterprise-focused strategy. She said the company wants its AI systems to move beyond traditional rule-based automation and actively complete tasks such as processing bookings, handling payments and placing orders.
According to Gleit, the goal is to create AI agents capable of delivering practical business outcomes rather than simply responding to customer enquiries.
New Team To Drive Enterprise Adoption
Gleit is leading Meta’s efforts to expand into AI-driven business services. As part of a wider restructuring focused on artificial intelligence, the company recently created a new Enterprise Solutions team.
The team will deploy engineers directly alongside enterprise customers. This approach is intended to help organisations navigate internal challenges related to AI adoption while also developing customised solutions that improve results.
Although the group is currently focused on business agents, it is also developing additional agentic AI products that companies can use for internal business functions.
Platform Connects AI Agents To External Systems
Alongside tools operating within Meta’s own applications, the company is introducing a broader Business Agent Platform. The platform provides businesses with infrastructure to build customised AI agents capable of supporting operations across external systems.
Meta said the platform connects with hundreds of non-Meta services, including e-commerce and customer support systems. Businesses can deploy AI agents across these connected platforms while benefiting from enterprise-grade controls, guardrails and measurement tools.
As a result, Meta is expanding its AI offering beyond messaging applications and positioning itself as a provider of broader enterprise AI infrastructure.
With inputs from Reuters