A customer sends a WhatsApp message to a local store asking about a product. Within seconds, they receive an answer.
The product they’re after is in stock. Or, if it isn’t, they’re recommended an alternative.
Welcome to the next generation of customer service bots – and the latest battleground among the world’s largest technology companies.
Big tech firms are now pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence (AI) agents: systems capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution. The value of agentic AI’s global market is projected to climb from US$10.9billion in 2026 to a staggering $182.9 billion by 2033.
At its annual Conversations conference in London this month, Meta unveiled Business Agent, an AI system that can answer customer questions, qualify sales leads, manage bookings and process transactions directly within platforms such as WhatsApp.
