In recent years, artificial intelligence has become part of everyday life, even for those who were previously skeptical about technology. Chat applications have turned into spaces where people not only talk to each other, but also use them to solve tasks, translate texts, plan trips, and generate ideas. For many, the first encounter with AI began with chatbots, and their integration into messaging platforms felt natural, convenient, and destined to grow. However, a turning point awaits WhatsApp users: AI diversity on this platform will shrink, as Meta has decided that this space will be reserved exclusively for its own artificial intelligence.
Only Meta AI Will Remain on WhatsApp
This decision, described by some as bold and by others as aggressive, may become a historic turning point in the race between technology companies. Meta has made its position very clear: there will be no competitors in this game. On WhatsApp, only one AI will remain – Meta AI.
Doors Closed to Third-Party Chatbots
Until now, WhatsApp was one of the most versatile places to use different AI models. ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and other tools offered their services directly within chat windows. In the future, this will no longer be possible. In its updated terms of use, Meta has banned AI companies from using the WhatsApp Business API to distribute chatbots as standalone products. In other words, only AI tools that serve as support for customer service will be allowed, not those that themselves are the main service.
This is the essential change: Meta is not shutting the door on AI entirely, but it is eliminating competitors whose chatbots directly compete with its own solutions. All companies that offered AI as a product are losing the right to operate within WhatsApp. It is no secret that ChatGPT and Copilot fall into this category – they are popular as independent tools where users often find faster, more creative, and frequently higher-quality solutions than Meta AI is currently able to provide.
ChatGPT and Copilot Leaving: The Date Is Set
This announcement is neither vague nor distant. It comes with a specific deadline: January 15, 2026, the last day when WhatsApp will allow the two largest chatbots to operate on the platform. After this date, users will have to choose whether to stay with Meta AI or move to other platforms for AI-driven conversations.
Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot will leave WhatsApp. A few weeks earlier, OpenAI made a similar announcement – ChatGPT will not return to the app. For users, this also means saying goodbye to their chat histories. Microsoft does not plan to offer any way to transfer them. OpenAI is more flexible: it will allow users to move their ChatGPT data and history by linking accounts.
What until recently felt like a comfortable field of choice is turning into a single-center game.
What Remains? Only Meta AI – And This Is No Accident
It is hard to miss the strategy behind Meta’s actions. WhatsApp is one of the largest communication platforms in the world, and an audience of this scale is incredibly valuable for AI development. By removing competitors, Meta can:
push users to try Meta AI even if they previously preferred another chatbot,
collect more data to train its models,
strengthen its position against the main players in the market.
The official wording of the new rules might seem neutral if not for one detail: the ban applies only when the AI product itself is the service offered to the user. In other words, when it competes with Meta AI. This is no longer just a rule – it is an offensive strategy.
Who Else Will Be Affected?
Not only Microsoft and OpenAI will feel the impact. Many tech companies have WhatsApp integrations that are now at risk. Perplexity, a rapidly growing AI service, may also lose access to the platform. Few doubt that the list will grow. The more competitors drop out of the arena, the clearer and wider the path becomes for Meta AI.
Ironically, in a market where progress is usually measured by innovation, here innovation is being replaced by regulation. It is not a technological leap that helps Meta catch up with leaders, but rather the act of slamming the door in their faces.
Is Meta AI Ready for This?
This is the question being asked more loudly than any official announcement. Meta AI is not the worst player in the market, but it is certainly not the strongest. Compared with ChatGPT or Copilot, its capabilities still lag behind, especially in creative tasks and complex reasoning. This raises a logical question: was this decision driven by a desire to win the technology race, or by a fear of losing it?
One thing is clear – even if users are forced to stay with Meta AI on WhatsApp, they are not obliged to use it elsewhere. ChatGPT will continue to work in browsers, apps, and on computers. Copilot will remain embedded in the Windows ecosystem. Competition is not over; it has simply moved to another front.
What Does This Mean for Users?
This decision may fundamentally change how we relate to AI in our everyday apps. Instead of an open market with multiple choices, we are heading towards a single, centralized solution. It is reminiscent of the days when mobile phones were almost identical and when, if you disliked a particular app or function, you simply had no alternative because it was the only option. This time, however, billions of users are at stake.
One question will now linger in the air: will Meta AI truly become powerful enough to justify such an aggressive move? Or will the remaining users feel more like losers than winners – and see this as the first sign that the market needs new platforms, new models, and a renewed freedom to choose?
For now, all that remains is to watch as Meta strives not only to compete, but to control. The AI race continues, but from now on, there will be fewer runners at the starting line.
Images for illustration purposes © Canva.
