Conversations with Copilot on WhatsApp will not carry over to other Copilot surfaces, due to them being “unauthenticated”.
Microsoft first introduced Copilot on WhatsApp in 2024
Photo Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft announced on Tuesday that its Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot will soon be leaving WhatsApp. The move is said to be in compliance with the Meta-owned instant messaging company's revised business API policies. It prohibits providers and developers of AI chatbots from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business Solution. With this decision, Microsoft has become the second major AI provider to pull its AI chatbot from WhatsApp, following a similar move by OpenAI in October.
Microsoft is sunsetting the Copilot chatbot on WhatsApp from January 15, 2026. After that date, the service will no longer function on the instant messaging platform, due to WhatsApp's policy changes coming into effect on the same date. It is working towards ensuring a smooth transition process for users, enabling them to retain their Copilot access on mobile, web, and PC, the Redmond-based tech giant said in a blog post.
Microsoft says conversations with Copilot on WhatsApp will not be able to carry over to other Copilot surfaces, due to them being “unauthenticated”. Users who still wish to retain them can use WhatsApp's export tools before the chatbot is discontinued from the messaging platform.
Copilot will remain available on the web, at copilot.microsoft.com, and in the Copilot mobile app for iOS and Android devices. As per the company, the Copilot app and website provide the core features available on WhatsApp and also include additional capabilities that are not supported by the WhatsApp integration.
Per WhatsApp's latest policies, providers and developers of AI or machine learning technologies, including but not limited to LLMs, generative AI platforms, and general-purpose AI assistants, are prohibited from accessing or using the WhatsApp Business solution, whether directly or indirectly. This applies to purposes of providing, delivering, offering, selling, or otherwise making available such technologies when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use.
Copilot is the second AI chatbot being discontinued from WhatsApp, following OpenAI's announcement last month. ChatGPT will also no longer be available on WhatsApp after January 15, 2025, in compliance with WhatsApp's updated policies. The company said that users can link their ChatGPT accounts with WhatsApp, and their past conversations will appear in the history section of the ChatGPT app.
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