Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is investing heavily in AI technology as it attempts to catch up to industry players like OpenAI. Now, the social media giant hopes that “hundreds of millions” of small businesses will embrace its agentic AI to reach new customers.
CNBC reports that Clara Shih, head of business AI at Meta, believes that AI is set to transform every job and every business, including the hundreds of millions of small businesses that use Meta’s platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to connect with customers. In an interview with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin for the CNBC Changemakers Spotlight series, Shih discussed the rapid evolution of AI technology and its potential impact on businesses of all sizes.
Meta recently announced that the upcoming Llama 4 AI will help power AI agents, which represent the latest trend in generative AI. These AI agents will be capable of advanced reasoning and action, such as surfing the web and handling various tasks that could benefit both consumers and businesses. Shih said, “We’re quickly coming to a place where every business, from the very large to the very small, they’re going to have a business agent representing it and acting on its behalf, in its voice — the way that businesses today have websites and email addresses,” Shih said.
According to Meta, the potential applications of AI agents for businesses are vast. The 200 million small businesses already using Meta’s services and platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, could soon have AI assistants that can automate redundant tasks, communicate in the business’s voice, help find new customers, and provide personalized, 24/7 concierge services to each customer.
Shih emphasized the importance of making AI accessible to businesses of all sizes, particularly small businesses that may not have the resources to hire large AI teams. Meta is building business AIs specifically for these small businesses, enabling them to benefit from the ongoing AI innovations. Shih predicts that in the near future, every business, regardless of size, will have an AI agent representing it, acting on its behalf.
Shih believes that AI will affect every job function across every industry, just as the internet, mobile technology, and social media have done in the past. “There isn’t a single job that hasn’t been completely transformed by the internet and by mobile and by social media. I think we’re at the same juncture now with AI, where it’s clear that there are certain professions where AI will significantly change the job. But my prediction is that over time, AI will change every job function across every industry,” she said.
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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