During the Meta Connect 2024 developer conference in Menlo Park on Wednesday, Meta revealed that it is expanding its AI-powered business chatbots to brands on WhatsApp and Messenger through click-to-message ads.

This new feature enables businesses to implement ad-embedded chatbots that interact with customers, provide support, and assist with order placements. Meta stated, “From addressing common customer inquiries to discussing products and completing purchases, these business AIs can enhance customer engagement and boost sales,” as mentioned in a blog post shared with TechCrunch.

Meta is increasingly integrating AI into its advertising products and tools. In May, the company allowed advertisers to create entirely new ad images using AI and to incorporate AI-generated alternative headlines for their ads. In June, Meta began testing AI-powered customer support for businesses on WhatsApp, which automatically responds to frequently asked questions.

Meta reports that over a million advertisers are utilizing its AI ad tools, resulting in the creation of 15 million ads with these features just last month.

While Meta claims that AI ads enhance click-through rates, there is evidence indicating that customers may not favor ads featuring chatbots. A survey conducted earlier this year by customer experience platform Callvu found that most people would prefer to wait at least a minute to speak with a live customer agent rather than engage instantly with an AI chatbot.