WhatsApp Business users in India will soon get an AI chatbot feature
WhatsApp Business is getting several new features, including a major artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade to help business owners intelligently automate some of their communications on the platform. The social media giant announced a new AI-powered chatbot for WhatsApp Business at an event in São Paulo. It also rolled out the Meta Verified badge for these users. India is one of the first markets to get the features. Additionally, the company is also testing a Call functionality for its business accounts.
WhatsApp Business gets an AI assistant
In the past few months, Meta has rolled out chatbots powered by its Llama-3 AI model to WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger in multiple markets. The Meta AI chatbot comes with all the general text-based capabilities of a large language model. Plus, it can also generate images. Now, the company is rolling out a similar AI assistant to WhatsApp Business users.
In a news release, Meta said, “We’re training AI to respond to the most popular questions businesses receive on WhatsApp, so they can quickly help customers find the answers they’re looking for.” It seems that the feature will not only send pre-written answers, but also intelligently provide assistance based on customer needs and requirements. It can also be used to market products and services to those who might be interested in them. The company aims to innovate communication automation with AI technology so that businesses rely on it more.
This feature is currently in testing, but will be rolling out in India and Singapore in the coming days, followed by Brazil. It is not known if it will be rolled out in a limited way or to all WhatsApp Business users in the country.
Following the rollout on Facebook and Instagram, Meta Verified badges are now rolling out to WhatsApp Business accounts. These badges appear as a white checkmark in a green star-shaped circle next to the business’ name. The badge indicates businesses that have registered their information with Meta and are receiving advanced account support from the business. The Meta Verified badge will appear on the WhatsApp channel and custom WhatsApp page for businesses. Meta Verified badges have started rolling out in India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia.
The social media giant is also testing a calling feature for WhatsApp Business account holders, which will allow customers to call larger companies on WhatsApp. Meta says this will help businesses quickly resolve issues and get help with complex requests. The social media giant did not specify a timeline for the feature’s launch.
