More than chatbots: why business AI agents are Big Tech’s next product battleground
More than chatbots: why business AI agents are Big Tech’s next product battleground
Publish Date: 2026-06-18 15:44:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
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.
For small businesses that lack the staff or resources to provide round-the-clock customer support, the appeal is obvious. Larger organisations can integrate the technology into existing sales, booking and customer management systems.
Having spent two decades reshaping the advertising industry, Meta’s move may seem like a natural progression. But there is more at stake than another tech giant automating customer service.
Converting attention to transaction
Most of us know Meta as the conglomerate behind social media platforms Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.
But Mark Zuckerberg’s business, which last year hit US$200 billion in revenue, has long been built around advertising. It comes down to understanding audiences, capturing their attention and then selling businesses the chance to reach the right people with the right message at the right time.
Meta’s Business Agent now shifts the company into that transactional moment which follows the advert, click or message.
It’s the point where a customer is already asking themselves what to buy, whether to book…
