Meta has launched Muse, a "personal AI agent" designed to help everyday users with tasks like online shopping, sending emails, and planning trips. Once given a goal, Muse can work autonomously — opening browsers, filling out forms, and even negotiating on users' behalf. For lengthy tasks, it continues working in the background after users close the app, returning when something changes or when approval is needed.
The product is available free for most users on iOS, Android, and muse.ai, with AI glasses support coming soon. Meta says there will be paid subscriptions "for people who want to do more," though specific pricing was not disclosed.
"Muse is a first step: an agent that takes on more of the work so people can focus on what matters to them," Meta said.
Ease of use is where Meta hopes Muse will stand out from competitors like OpenAI's ChatGPT Work, Anthropic's Claude Cowork, Microsoft's Copilot Tasks, and Google's Gemini Spark. "Anyone can use it out of the box, no technical experience required," Meta claims, boasting that "there's no learning curve." Communication works through the Muse app or WhatsApp.
Meta is similarly keen to emphasize privacy features: users can opt out of their interactions being used to train AI models and instruct Muse to "forget" specific things it has learned. Muse runs on a virtual computer in the cloud, separate from other users' agents, with no visibility into passwords or payment methods. A second AI agent, Sentinel, patrols the same virtual machine to ensure nothing Muse does can reach the internet without approval.
A more secure "confidential" version of the virtual machine, encrypted so that even Meta cannot access it, is planned for later this year. 1Password and Shop Pay support are also on the way.
Powered by Muse Spark, the product is positioned as the centerpiece of Meta's AI strategy after years of setbacks including privacy scandals and missteps with earlier AI features. Given Meta's position as a social media behemoth, Muse has the distribution advantage of reaching billions of users — though overcoming trust issues from the Cambridge Analytica era and recent AI failures will be an uphill battle.
Sources: The Verge
