$META recently released a new AI research project called BlenderBot 3, a sophisticated chatbot that can converse naturally with people, who can then provide feedback to the model on how to improve its responses. Basically, Meta released yet another improvement to its chatbots which are getting really good.

While the media is focusing on AI doomsday scenarios and debating if this neural network is sentient, I want to direct your attention to a very real use case for this AI: Monetizing WhatsApp

Have you ever wondered why Meta doesn’t simply slap ads on WhatsApp and be done with it? Well, there are valid reasons to keep away from this simple solution. Maybe the most important issue would be that to make the ad targeting really great, the platform would need to read user messages to serve relevant ads. This would most likely lead to a pretty big outcry, so that’s not the way to go.

Instead, IMO, WhatsApp will focus on B2B, offering businesses a platform for sales and support. There is already a business API for WhatsApp for Business that is priced on a tiered per-message basis. I’m expecting this to be extended, so every business can do automated tasks via the messenger. Imagine automated customer support, sales routines, and ordering products.

And here, Meta’s AI efforts come into play. Once the chatbot capabilities are advanced enough that it feels like you are talking with a real person, the possibilities are endless. If done correctly, this could be a fantastic win-win proposition. Customers get better and faster interactions with businesses, and businesses get more efficient support and sales capabilities.

With more than 2B monthly active users on WhatsApp, this could be huge for Meta.