Meta floats pricing for business AI agents at $1 per resolved conversation

Meta is moving closer to rolling out AI agents for businesses, and surveys now appearing in users' Facebook feeds confirm the company plans to charge for them. One version of the survey asks whether a business would pay $1 each time an AI agent successfully addresses a customer need, such as answering a question or completing a purchase, with no charge when the AI cannot help.

A follow-up screen forces a choice between three pricing models: $1 per successful AI conversation, a small subscription covering up to 500 resolved conversations a month for $250, or a large subscription covering up to 5,000 for $1,500. Notably, the survey offers no option to decline payment altogether, and at least one user reported being shown a $0.50-per-conversation version, indicating Meta is split-testing price points.

The reaction from business owners has been mixed, with some concerned about unpredictable costs if inboxes fill with low-quality questions from humans and bots. Meta is running a beta waitlist for the agents.

Separately, new research from OpenAI has found that heavy chatbot usage correlates with loneliness and reduced socialization, prompting commentary about whether AI companies will repeat the mistakes social networks made with user well-being.

In product news, Instagram has added the ability to repost public reels and posts, working much like Facebook's share button. Reposts can appear in followers' feeds and are collected in a dedicated tab on the user's profile, a feature marketers say makes it far easier to balance original content with curated material from others.