Effective January 15, 2026, the move will impact AI companies, including OpenAI, Perplexity, Luzia, and Poke, which use WhatsApp to deliver conversational services. Confirming the development to TechCrunch, Meta said that it applies only to broad-use AI assistants and not to business-specific customer service bots. Businesses that use AI for routine tasks -- like customer support, travel bookings, or order processing -- can still operate through WhatsApp's Business API.