More than 3 billion people open WhatsApp at least once a month, Meta✴ CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a briefing after the publication of the quarterly financial report.
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WhatsApp, which launched in 2009 and was acquired by Facebook✴ (now Meta✴) in 2014 for $19 billion, remains free and doesn’t show ads to users. The instant messaging service passed the 2 billion monthly active users mark in 2020; it’s now one of the few apps besides Facebook✴ to reach the 3 billion mark. Its massive user base makes WhatsApp a key project for Meta✴, especially as the company bets heavily on its AI strategy.
«“We see people connecting to Meta✴ AI through different entry points. WhatsApp continues to be the most active user of Meta✴ AI,” said Susan Li, Meta✴ CFO. Most WhatsApp users access Meta✴ AI in private chats, she added. While WhatsApp provides easy access to AI features, the company had to change its approach to drive adoption of its AI products in markets like the U.S., where most users use messaging apps for their intended purpose — to communicate, Zuckerberg said. That’s why it had to release a separate Meta✴ AI app.
WhatsApp Business is actively developing, accounting for a significant portion of the $510 million in revenue from the family of apps segment. AI tools are currently being tested for WhatsApp Business as well: the company is developing a new interface for managing AI agents and a toolbar that will allow third-party businesses to train Meta✴ AI models on their data. The launch of AI chatbots in chats with clients of such companies is also being tested.