Microsoft has announced that its AI assistant, Copilot, will cease to function on WhatsApp after January 15. After this date, to continue using the AI, WhatsApp users will need to use Microsoft’s Copilot mobile applications or access the chatbot through the web.
The company stated that the removal of Copilot from the widely used messaging platform is due to compliance with WhatsApp’s updated platform policies, which were revealed in the previous month.
Previously, the Meta-owned messaging service communicated that it would cease allowing general-purpose AI chatbots to utilize its WhatsApp Business API for customer service. The intention was to allocate those resources for other business purposes. Businesses can still leverage AI to assist their clientele, but WhatsApp will no longer serve as a platform for distributing AI chatbots, affecting entities like Microsoft, OpenAI, Perplexity, among others.
OpenAI had previously communicated its intention to discontinue its WhatsApp integration during January.
Regrettably, Copilot users on WhatsApp will not have their chat history transferred to Microsoft’s platform because access to the chatbot on WhatsApp did not require authentication. Microsoft advises users who wish to keep their conversations for later use to export them using WhatsApp’s integrated features before the January 15 deadline.
