Meta Turns to AI for Account Support on Facebook and Instagram

Meta is completely overhauling its notoriously broken support system by deploying AI across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
While Meta faces intense regulatory scrutiny over its AI practices in Europe, the company is doubling down on AI-powered customer support that promises to fix years of user frustration.
The tech titan is launching a centralized support hub for users globally, complete with AI-powered search and an AI assistant that offers personalized help with account recovery, profile management, and settings updates.
Meta claims its AI systems have already reduced account hacks by over 30% globally across Facebook and Instagram. The AI also helps identify and stop threats like phishing, suspicious logins, and compromised accounts while avoiding mistaken account disabling more than ever before.
An assistant that’s actually working
Meta’s new support revolution centers on a sophisticated AI assistant that’s being tested first on Facebook before expanding to other platforms. Unlike traditional chatbots that might frustrate users with robotic responses, this AI offers personalized assistance.
The AI assistant can handle complex tasks like account recovery, where users can now take an optional selfie video to verify their identity – a major upgrade from the old system of uploading ID documents. The new hub connects users with security tools like two-factor authentication setup and passkey addition, creating an experience that may for once solve problems.
What makes this different is the AI’s ability to learn and adapt. The system has helped speed up the appeals process when mistakes occur and has improved Meta’s ability to distinguish between legitimate users and bad actors.
Rolling out across iOS and Android apps globally – it represents a fundamental shift in how social media platforms handle customer service.
Small businesses get superpowers
It looks like Meta is also transforming business customer service. The company has been quietly testing Business AI, a customer service agent that operates across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Meta’s Business AI can handle purchases, manage returns and exchanges, provide product recommendations, and even process transactions – all while maintaining consistent brand voice across channels. Business owners can now delegate complex customer interactions while maintaining quality, as the system trains on existing brand content and can be customized for different business tones, from technical and concise to warm and friendly.
For small businesses, this arguably levels the playing field against larger competitors by providing 24/7 coverage without overtime costs and handling high-volume inquiries that would otherwise require scaling human teams.
Business owners can delegate tasks to their AI agent and also hand off complex issues to live customer service representatives. Advanced multilingual support serves diverse audiences, absorbing routine inquiries on shipping, returns, and sizing, while routing edge cases to staff.
Regulatory storm
But Meta’s AI expansion isn’t happening in a vacuum. European regulators just launched a formal antitrust investigation into Meta’s AI practices. The investigation centers on Meta’s October policy change that prohibits AI companies from using WhatsApp Business Solution when AI is their primary offering.
Major AI providers like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which served over 50 million users on WhatsApp, and Microsoft’s Copilot have already announced they’ll cease WhatsApp operations by the Jan. 15, 2026 deadline. Meanwhile, Meta’s own AI assistant remains fully accessible on the platform.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera emphasized the need to prevent dominant digital companies from crowding out innovative competitors, stating regulators must act quickly to prevent irreparable harm to competition in the rapidly expanding AI sector. Meta dismissed the investigation as “baseless,” claiming AI chatbots strain systems not designed to support them.
Investigation scope covers the European Economic Area except Italy, where competition authorities are already pursuing separate proceedings against Meta’s conduct. The investigation has no fixed deadline, with duration depending on case complexity and Meta’s cooperation with regulators.
OpenAI has been ordered to turn over 20 million de-identified ChatGPT conversation logs to a coalition of news publishers, in a closely watched copyright battle over generative AI.
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