Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, has launched new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help businesses target ads on WhatsApp. This announcement was made on June 6, 2024, during a conference in Brazil, where Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the news via a video presentation.
This is a significant change for WhatsApp, a messaging service known for its strong privacy measures. Unlike Meta’s other platforms like Facebook and Instagram, WhatsApp has avoided using targeted advertising. However, Meta has been adding features to WhatsApp for business and payment purposes over the years. These include tools that allow companies to interact with customers for service and marketing if customers have shared their phone numbers.
Previously, businesses could only send general messages to all users who agreed to receive them. The new AI tools, however, will use data from Facebook and Instagram to send messages to users who are more likely to be interested, as long as they use the same phone number on all platforms. Guilherme Horn, WhatsApp’s head of strategic markets, explained that these AI tools will help businesses target their ads more effectively, ensuring they reach users who are more likely to engage with them. This is crucial because businesses pay for these messages.
Meta has been trying to make more money from WhatsApp, which has the most daily users among Meta’s apps. Despite its popularity and the $22 billion Meta paid to buy it in 2014, WhatsApp has contributed very little to Meta’s overall revenue.
At the same conference, Meta introduced an AI chatbot designed to handle business inquiries directly in chats. This chatbot will assist with common questions, such as finding catalogs or checking business hours, similar to existing AI-powered customer service tools. This move aligns with Zuckerberg’s goal of encouraging businesses to use automated tools for communication.
Additionally, Meta announced that it is integrating Brazil’s digital payment method, PIX, into WhatsApp’s payment system in the country. PIX, which was developed by Brazil’s central bank, accounted for about 39% of transactions in Brazil last year. It offers services similar to WhatsApp’s payment tool, such as transferring money between individuals and making purchases from businesses. WhatsApp began offering similar payment services from other providers in India last year.
Meta’s new AI tools and chatbot represent a strategic effort to enhance WhatsApp’s capabilities for businesses and generate more revenue from the app. By leveraging AI to optimize ad targeting and automate customer service, Meta aims to make WhatsApp a more valuable platform for businesses.
Original Source: Dani Morera and Andre Romani, Reuters, June 7, 2024. You can check out the full article here.
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