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Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, March 24, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
Businesses running Instagram ads can set up AI-powered assistants that automatically respond to customers who click on an ad and start a direct message conversation. The assistant can answer product questions and facilitate sales without a human representative. This began rolling out in September 2024.
Details
These "Business AIs" are designed for use in Instagram click-to-message advertising campaigns, where a user taps an ad and is taken directly to a messaging thread. The AI assistant then handles the conversation. Businesses can configure the assistant's knowledge base, product catalog, and response style. The feature is distinct from AI Studio (which is for organic creator DMs) and is tied specifically to paid advertising on Instagram. Meta stated at its September 2024 Connect event that it was expanding the feature to thousands of businesses.
Products affected
Instagram DMs
Sources & Evidence
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). Instagram: Businesses running Instagram ads can set up AI-powered assistants that automatically respond to customers who click on an ad and start a direct message conversation. The assistant can answer product questions and facilitate sales without a human representative. This began rolling out in September 2024 (data as of 2026-03-24) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/2ff00cbc-8b3d-4cd6-962c-2228f84bc2dc. Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/2ff00cbc-8b3d-4cd6-962c-2228f84bc2dc
- Data as of
- March 24, 2026
- Last verified
- March 24, 2026
Other practices by Instagram
OtherInstagram automatically transcribes spoken words in Stories and Reels into on-screen text captions using AI speech recognition. Users add a "Captions" sticker to any video with speech and the text appears automatically. This feature launched on Instagram Stories in May 2021.OtherWhen Instagram users try to change their stated age from under 18 to 18 or older, they may be asked to complete an AI-powered face scan to estimate their age. Separately, Meta uses a background AI system that monitors Instagram account behavior to detect users who may be younger than they claim. Both systems are specific to Instagram's teen safety program.OtherInstagram automatically applies a label — called "AI Info" — to photos, videos, and audio that were created or significantly modified using AI tools. The labels appear on content from Instagram's own AI features as well as from third-party tools like Adobe Firefly and Midjourney. The system launched in May 2024 and has faced criticism for inconsistent application.
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