OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot announced plans to exit WhatsApp following changes to the messaging app’s terms of service that will prohibit third-party AI chatbots. The updates, effective January 15, 2026, will allow AI to be used only for customer support or notifications, not as the product itself.
Users can continue interacting with the chatbots on WhatsApp until the deadline. ChatGPT users may link their accounts to preserve chat histories, while Copilot users lack that option. Meta’s spokesperson emphasized that the WhatsApp Business API is intended to support businesses in delivering customer service and updates, rather than serving as a platform for rival AI products.
The move is expected to trigger similar withdrawals from other AI chatbot providers. After the changes take effect, Meta AI will be the primary AI chatbot option on WhatsApp, consolidating the company’s position in messaging-based AI services.
Meanwhile, OpenAI forecasts that as many as 220 million of ChatGPT’s weekly users will be paying subscribers by 2030, making it one of the largest companies in the world.
