Meta will allow rival artificial intelligence chatbots to run on WhatsApp in Europe through its Business API for a 12-month period, the social media company has revealed.
The move aims to address regulatory pressure from the European Commission after the company had barred third-party chatbot providers from using the WhatsApp Business API.
Meta said it will permit general-purpose AI chatbot providers to connect for a fee, charging between €0.0490 and €0.1323 per "non-template message" depending on the country.
The policy exemption does not extend to businesses using AI for templated customer messages; retailers and other firms that send template responses remain unaffected.
The recap
Meta will allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Europe
Charges range from €0.0490 to €0.1323 per non-template message
The European Commission will analyse impact and continue its antitrust probe
