Overview
- Meta’s updated WhatsApp Business API terms prohibit AI providers from offering general‑purpose assistants when AI is the primary function, with enforcement starting January 15, 2026.
- OpenAI confirmed ChatGPT will stop working on WhatsApp after the deadline and is directing users to its apps and website, noting more than 50 million people used the WhatsApp integration.
- OpenAI advises users to link their WhatsApp number to a ChatGPT account via the 1‑800‑ChatGPT contact profile to preserve conversation history, since WhatsApp does not support chat exports.
- Customer‑service uses where AI is incidental remain allowed, but businesses cannot let third parties use WhatsApp Business Solution data—directly or in aggregated form—to train or improve external AI models.
- Meta says chatbot distribution was an unanticipated use that drove heavy message volumes and support demands without a clear pricing model; other providers such as Perplexity and Indian services like Haptik AI and PuchAI are also affected.