Meta (Meta, Financials) is quietly turning WhatsApp into a full-fledged business engine. This week, the company deployed voice call support for large companies using WhatsApp Business, showing deeper integration of AI capabilities, including product recommendations and smart customer support.
Updates indicate shifts. Small businesses can already use WhatsApp to invoke customers. However, until now, large companies have been excluded. This new API rollout allows businesses to place phones and layers on AI-powered voice agents through startups such as VAPI, ElevenLabs, Coval, Phonic and more. This means that customer service can occur around the clock. No live agent is required.
And that’s just the beginning.
Meta is also expanding its AI-based chat support tools that have been tested in some merchants in Mexico. More businesses will be able to automate conversations. Send a follow-up. It also handles all outreach within WhatsApp.
One of the most promising updates? A product proposal with AI installed. After users chat with merchants, Meta’s AI can now recommend related items and follow up those conversations in real time, essentially turning WhatsApp into a smart shopping assistant.
These AI features are currently free. But it may not last forever. Meta is already making revenue from Click-to-WhatsApp ads and business messaging tools. Also, bots that monetize voice AI or product recommendation bots seem like a natural next step, especially as a usage scale.
The company says WhatsApp Business currently serves more than 200 million users each month. Once these tools are deployed, Meta clearly lays the foundation for a platform that helps businesses engage, trade and expand without the need for another call center or CRM.
