Meta begins charging for AI chatbots on WhatsApp in Italy

[johnblockbuster]

Meta announced it will start charging developers for running AI chatbots on WhatsApp in regions where regulators require the company to allow them. The policy will initially apply in Italy, where competition authorities asked Meta to suspend its ban on third-party chatbots.

Starting February 16, Meta will charge developers for non-template AI responses at a rate of $0.0691 per message. The company warned that high-volume chatbot usage could lead to significant costs. WhatsApp already charges businesses for template-based messages, such as payment or shipping notifications, but this marks the first time Meta is monetizing AI chatbot responses.

[madmax]

interesting contrast: startups reducing infra friction while platforms increase usage friction