Meta gets metaphysical laying out vision for Muse AI assistant

At Meta's Connect 2026 event, the company unveiled its plans for the Muse AI assistant, a tool designed to assist users with a variety of everyday tasks, including shopping, email management, and computer operations. In a philosophical opening, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke about Meta's mission - believing in people and the joy of building things.

Muse is presented as an early step towards Zuckerberg's vision of personal superintelligence. The assistant has expanded to Canada, with more countries to follow. Powered by Muse Spark, Muse can conduct research, complete forms, book travel, and continue working even after the user closes the app.

Zuckerberg demonstrated that Muse can be integrated into email threads for automated responses. However, the increased access to the assistant raises concerns about privacy and control. To address these concerns, Meta ensures each agent runs on a dedicated computer in the cloud, separate from the user's device. Users can choose which services to connect, and Muse requests approval before completing sensitive actions such as sending emails or making purchases.

Shopping is another area where Muse aims to help users. Zuckerberg highlighted support from Stripe, Shopify’s Shop Pay, and expanded PayPal integration. The goal is to help users discover products and complete purchases through the assistant. However, retailer restrictions present an obstacle. Amazon has already blocked Muse from shopping on its platform. Zuckerberg hinted at the possibility of Meta collecting a small fee on transactions Muse helps complete.

Meta also showcased a lighter side to Muse with a demonstration of personalization, where Wang showed a version of his dog as his assistant. The default mascot, Jolly, may provide a friendly face, but Meta's larger goal is to foster trust in the assistant to handle increasingly personal tasks. Muse currently offers a free tier along with paid subscriptions, and Meta aims to provide substantial free usage.