OpenAI’s ChatGPIT and Microsoft’s Copilot are both leaving WhatsApp due to upcoming changes to the messaging app’s terms of service, which will bar it from being used to distribute AI chatbots not created by Meta.
OpenAI announced its planned departure a few weeks ago, and Microsoft is following suit this week. Both companies attributed the new terms of service to the Meta for WhatsApp Business solution, which will come into effect on January 15, 2026, and said chatbots will remain accessible in WhatsApp until that date. ChatGPT users can link their accounts to WhatsApp to ensure that their chat history continues, although Copilot users will not have this option.
WhatsApp announced an update to its terms in October, banning AI companies from using its business API as a delivery platform for chatbots. Other companies will still be allowed to use WhatsApp for customer service or support chatbots, with conditions restricted to only cases where the AI is the product itself – an easy way to prevent Meta’s AI rivals from using their own platforms to reach customers.
“The purpose of the WhatsApp Business API is to help businesses provide customer support and send relevant updates,” an unnamed Meta spokesperson explained. techcrunch In those days. “Our focus is on supporting the thousands of businesses that are building these experiences on WhatsApp.”
The change means other third-party AI chatbots, including Perplexity, may soon announce their departure from WhatsApp, leaving Meta AI as the only option available from next January.
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