WhatsApp ordered to host rival AI assistants for free

Meta has been ordered by the European Commission to restore free WhatsApp access for chatbots made by rival AI providers while the regulator finishes its antitrust investigation.

The rare interim measure announced on Tuesday was deemed necessary "to prevent serious and irreparable damage to competition" in the general-purpose AI assistant market. This is only the second time that the EU has used the emergency power in more than 20 years, Politico reports.