The End of the AI Era on WhatsApp

The End of the AI Era on WhatsApp

Meta has decided to ban the use of general-purpose AI assistants through the WhatsApp Business API. This change directly affects popular chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Luzia. The new terms will come into effect on January 15, 2026. Meta explained this move by stating that the design purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is not for the distribution of general chatbots, but rather to support businesses in communicating with their customers.

Meta AI Will Be the Sole Authority

With this policy change, Meta’s own AI assistant, Meta AI, will remain the sole authorized AI assistant on the WhatsApp platform. This means a significant market loss for third-party AI providers. Meta clarified that chatbots used by businesses for customer service, order management, and similar functions on WhatsApp will be exempt from this ban.

Infrastructure and Competition Concerns

Meta stated that the change was prompted by the strain that third-party chatbots put on WhatsApp’s infrastructure. The high volume of message traffic and media uploads from these AI assistants were putting pressure on the platform's existing infrastructure. The goal now is to make Meta AI the sole AI assistant on the platform.

Impacted Companies and Developers

This policy change directly affects companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke, which had been providing chatbot services via WhatsApp to reach a broad user base. The new regulation will prevent these companies from operating on the WhatsApp platform.

Future Outlook

Meta’s move is reshaping the competitive landscape of AI assistants on WhatsApp. While third-party AI providers will lose the opportunity to engage with users on the platform, Meta’s own AI assistant, Meta AI, will remain the sole authority. This shift will significantly alter the competitive dynamics in the AI assistant market.