Meta unveils AI personal assistant linked to WhatsApp and Instagram

Meta is building an AI that doesn’t just answer your questions. It does your errands. The company’s internal project, codenamed “Hatch,” is an AI personal assistant designed to autonomously handle tasks like booking appointments, shopping online, and syncing with your email and calendar, all accessible through WhatsApp and Instagram. The personal agent represents a significant escalation from Meta’s existing chatbot capabilities, which have been embedded across its platforms since 2023. Where Meta AI currently helps you draft a message or summarize a thread, Hatch is designed to act on your behalf. From chatbots to autonomous agents The consumer-facing Hatch project sits alongside a broader AI push that’s already live in the business world. Meta launched its Business Agent globally in early June 2026, rolling it out across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger to help companies automate customer support, schedule appointments, recommend products, and close sales. That launch happened at Meta’s Conversations event in London, where Mark Zuckerberg laid out a vision that goes well beyond customer service scripts. He hinted at aspirations for AI agents capable of managing entire businesse...