WhatsApp just announced it's officially banning general-purpose AI chatbots from operating on its Business API, starting January 15, 2026. Here’s what’s going on and why it matters: - Meta says WhatsApp's API was made for customer service, not chatbot platforms - Any AI assistant whose main function is chat (think ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.) will get the boot - Businesses can still use AI for support tasks like booking help, order questions, etc. - Meta says the surge in use from generative bots overwhelmed the system - It all ties back to revenue too, WhatsApp charges for business messaging, but these AI bots weren’t fitting that model - This effectively leaves Meta AI as the only official assistant on WhatsApp This says a lot about platform control in the AI age. What do you guys think, fair move by Meta to protect their business model, or unnecessary roadblock to innovation? I can totally understand why Meta is doing this. Read the full article here: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/18/whatssapp-changes-its-terms-to-bar-general-purpose-chatbots-from-its-platform/