Meta has announced sweeping changes to the policy for using the WhatsApp Business Platform. Starting January 15, 2026, popular multi-purpose chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot will no longer be able to operate within the WhatsApp ecosystem. This decision affects not only major players, but also numerous other services that used the platform to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday communication and business processes. For millions of users, this means losing a familiar way to interact with AI directly inside their favorite messenger.
Meta explains this change as a necessary shift to focus on professional tasks and customer service, supposedly in line with the original intent of the WhatsApp Business API. However, experts note that the move is also aimed at tightening the company’s control over its digital environment and promoting its own AI solutions.
Users who were accustomed to accessing ChatGPT or Copilot via WhatsApp will now have to look for alternative ways to use these tools. For many, this is inconvenient, as integrating AI into the messenger allowed for quick answers and advice without switching between apps. Now, they will have to use separate apps or web versions, making their usual workflows and communications more complicated.
Impact on the market and users
Meta’s decision has already prompted a response from OpenAI and Microsoft — both companies have confirmed that their assistants will stop working on WhatsApp. This affects not only individual users but also business clients who built their services on AI bot integration. WhatsApp, which for a long time remained a relatively open platform for third-party solutions, is now becoming a more closed and controlled environment.
Restrictions will also impact other services such as LuzIA, Perplexity, and Poe, which used WhatsApp to provide intelligent services. They will have to adapt to the new conditions or leave the platform altogether. As a result, WhatsApp loses its status as a universal channel for interacting with artificial intelligence, and users lose the freedom to choose their tools.
For businesses, this means a need to rethink their digital customer engagement strategies. Companies that have invested in integrating AI bots into WhatsApp will face additional costs to shift to new channels or develop their own solutions. In the long term, this could curb innovation on the platform and further strengthen Meta’s monopoly in the field of digital assistants.
Meta’s Strategy and the Future of Artificial Intelligence on WhatsApp
Meta’s official stance is that universal chatbots do not align with the architecture and business goals of the WhatsApp platform. The company claims such solutions could put unnecessary strain on infrastructure and hinder efficient customer service. However, analysts believe the real reason is Meta’s desire to promote its own product, Meta AI, which is already being tested in several countries and is set to become the only authorized AI assistant on WhatsApp.
This move is part of a broader trend among major tech companies to build closed ecosystems, where third-party solutions are pushed out in favor of in-house products. For users, this means fewer choices and increased dependence on a single service provider. For the market, it brings fiercer competition among global players and the possible emergence of new alternative platforms.
In the coming months, other messengers and services are likely to try to fill the gap by offering integration with popular AI bots. However, matching WhatsApp’s reach and user convenience will be a challenge. Users accustomed to a unified space for communication and working with AI will have to adapt to the new reality.
User and Expert Reactions
Many users have already voiced their dissatisfaction with Meta’s decision, noting that it limits their freedom of choice and complicates everyday tasks. For those who used WhatsApp as an all-in-one tool for communication, work, and accessing information, the removal of third-party AI bots was an unwelcome surprise. Experts warn that such steps could lead to market fragmentation and erode trust in major tech companies.
At the same time, some analysts believe Meta aims to create a safer and more controlled environment for users by minimizing the risks associated with third-party AI solutions. However, the question of balancing security with freedom of choice remains open.
In the long run, Meta’s decision could reshape the landscape of digital communications, prompting users and businesses to seek new ways to integrate artificial intelligence into daily life. It remains to be seen how quickly the market will adapt to these changes and whether viable alternatives to familiar tools will emerge.
By the way: what is known about Meta
Meta is one of the world’s largest technology companies, owning platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, the company was originally named Facebook, but rebranded to Meta in 2021 to highlight its focus on developing the metaverse and new digital technologies. WhatsApp was acquired by Meta in 2014 for a record $19 billion and has since become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over two billion users. In recent years, Meta has been actively investing in artificial intelligence and integrating its own AI solutions into its products. The company is regularly criticized for market monopolization and restricting third-party developers’ access to its platforms, yet it continues to maintain a leading position in digital communications.
