Meta debuts its Muse AI agent. Will consumers trust it?

Two weeks after Meta settled a $18 billion lawsuit related to social media's consumer harms, the company unveiled its flagship consumer AI product - Muse. This new personal AI agent aims to assist users with everyday tasks and projects in the U.S. Muse requires users to trust Meta with more personal data than ever before, as it connects to users' apps and services like email, calendars, payments, health and fitness apps, smart home devices, dining, shopping, music, events, and more.

The AI agent is designed to perform tasks such as sending emails, booking travel, lowering bills, filling out forms, creating plans, generating grocery lists from recipe reels, sending party invitations, and making purchases, using Link by Stripe for secure checkout. Users can choose which apps and services to connect, one at a time, to ensure transparency in the opt-in process. Muse is powered by Meta's AI model, Muse Spark, and ships with pre-built connectors for several services, with plans to add more over time.

Muse will initially be accessible via web at muse.ai, and through iOS, Android apps, and WhatsApp chats. It will later integrate into Meta's AI glasses. The service is free to use with subscription plans for increased usage starting at $20/month (Power plan) and $100/month (Maximum plan). Both plans offer more Muse usage, although Meta expects most users to stay on the free tier. A usage meter in the app displays remaining usage and warns users when payment is required.

Though not the first AI agent, Muse enters a competitive landscape with other companies experimenting in this space. However, these agents have raised concerns about privacy, as early testers have discovered broad licensing terms for accessing, using, storing, and modifying user data for AI model training. Meta claims Muse operates in a dedicated, secure computer called Muse Secure VM, with a separate Sentinel agent that remains isolated from Muse. This separation is intended to prevent Muse from accessing users' passwords or payment information.

Meta also asserts that Muse doesn't share user conversations or data with its advertising systems. However, given Meta's history of misleading consumers and facing multiple privacy-related lawsuits, including a $942 million settlement from 29 states in August, the question remains: will consumers place their trust in this new AI agent?