Meta plans to roll out Project Hatch — a platform for autonomous AI agents. Unlike the regular Meta AI chatbot, which only generates text during a conversation, Hatch will be able to perform actions on behalf of the user: browse profiles, check products, compare prices, and order delivery without human involvement.
What exactly the agents will be able to do
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In Instagram: the bot will work as a smart shopping assistant. It can be tasked with finding a product on Etsy, comparing reviews on Reddit and Yelp, ordering food through DoorDash, or sorting through emails in Outlook.
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In WhatsApp: a hub for third-party AI bots is being launched. External custom agents from other developers can be connected to the messenger and assigned tasks directly in the chat.
What this changes for media buyers
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The funnel becomes shorter in product offers and e-commerce. The buyer will no longer need to follow a link to a third-party landing page, enter an address, and manually complete payment forms — the agent will find and purchase the product itself. Combos will have to be adapted so that creatives and product listings can be read not only by people, but also by AI parsers.
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Automated lead nurturing in WhatsApp. Direct support for third-party agents will make it possible to connect custom bots for nutra, gambling, or info products. The bot will be able to hold a full conversation with the lead, handle objections, and convert them into a deposit directly in the messenger.
Meta plans to offer Hatch users a paid subscription with higher limits, which may cost up to $199.99 per month. A full release for all GEOs is expected closer to October. At the same time, Meta is preparing a new model codenamed Watermelon.
