AI Chatbots Can Come Back to WhatsApp, If They Pay

WhatsApp blocked third-party chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot from using its WhatsApp Business API in January, leaving Meta AI as the only AI chatbot available on WhatsApp. The EU Commission was not happy with this, and it’s considering imposing interim measures on WhatsApp to restore competition.

In an effort to thwart the ongoing EU investigation, WhatsApp announced today that it will once again allow third-party chatbots to use its business API to interact with users, but these companies will now need to pay a fee.

“For the next 12 months, we’ll support general-purpose AI chatbots using the WhatsApp Business API in Europe in response to the European Commission’s regulatory process,” the company said in an emailed statement shared with TechCrunch. “We believe that this removes the need for any immediate intervention as it gives the European Commission the time it needs to conclude its investigation.”

In its response to the EU investigation, WhatsApp explained that general-purpose AI chatbots will need to pay a fee per “non-template message.” The fee will range from €0.0490 to €0.1323, depending on the country. As noted by TechCrunch, WhatsApp previously introduced a similar system in Italy, where the country’s competition regulator ordered the company to suspend its policy that banned rival AI chatbots.

At the time, WhatsApp said that its business API wasn’t designed to support possibly lengthy conversations with AI chatbots, which could strain its systems. However, it remains to be seen if this new policy of charging AI chatbots to operate in WhatsApp will satisfy the EU Commission.

“The Commission is analysing the impact these changes may have on its interim measures investigation, as well as on its broader antitrust investigation on the substance,” an EU Commission spokesperson said in an emailed statement.