Meta opens WhatsApp to rival AI chatbots in Europe
What's the story
Meta has announced its plan to allow rival artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe, but at a cost. The move is aimed at avoiding a major investigation by the European Commission. For the next 12 months, AI companies will be able to offer their chatbots on WhatsApp through Meta's business application programming interface (API).
API access
Response to European Commission's antitrust investigation
Meta has responded to the European Commission's regulatory process by saying that for the next 12 months, we'll support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe. The company hopes this will eliminate any need for immediate intervention and give enough time for the Commission to complete its investigation.
Cost implications
Cost implications for AI chatbot providers
Meta will charge general-purpose AI chatbot providers for using its WhatsApp Business API. The cost will range between €0.0490 and €0.1323 per "non-template message," depending on the country. Given that conversations with AI assistants usually involve multiple messages, this could make the service expensive for third-party providers.
Ongoing investigation
European Commission's investigation into Meta's policy change
A spokesperson for the European Commission said they are looking into how these changes could affect their interim measures investigation and broader antitrust probe. The policy change, which came into effect on January 15, has prompted several AI assistant providers to complain about its anti-competitive nature and disruption of their business.
Regulatory scrutiny
Exemption for businesses using AI for customer service
Notably, the policy doesn't apply to businesses using AI for customer service on WhatsApp. Retailers with AI-powered customer service bots sending templated messages won't be barred from using the API. The decision comes after similar action in January when Meta allowed developers to use its API to offer their chatbots in Italy.