Meta launches Muse for Small Business, integrating the AI agent with Asana, Zoom, Intuit, Box, Canva, Slack, and other apps, alongside its own ad accounts (Isabel O'Brien/CNBC)

Meta, the tech giant, has announced plans to expand its AI agent Muse to small businesses, adding new integrations such as Shopify, Dropbox, Slack, and more. The company believes that an AI agent with context of a company's entire operation will be more beneficial than a standalone chatbot as it competes with rivals like OpenAI and Google.

Muse can also connect to Instagram professional account analytics, Facebook Pages, and Meta ad accounts, and has knowledge of a business's offerings, brand voice, and most frequently asked customer questions. Meta has released Muse for Small Business for free with usage limits, but businesses seeking more usage can opt for a subscription plan.

The company asserts that small businesses have been utilizing its apps for nearly two decades, but often struggle with time constraints rather than idea generation. Muse for Small Business aims to assist these businesses in completing tasks using the tools they are already familiar with. This expansion is part of Meta's broader strategy to extend its AI services beyond consumer applications into the enterprise market.

The launch of Muse for Small Business coincides with the introduction of the Meta Enterprise Platform, an initiative designed to broaden Meta's AI offerings to businesses and corporate clients. This move, spearheaded by Meta's CEO of database software company MongoDB, Chirantan "CJ" Desai, aims to capitalize on the significant investments Meta has made in AI.

The tech behemoth will integrate its entire technology stack, including Muse, Meta Business Agent, Muse API, Muse Code, and others, into its enterprise offerings. The rollout of the Meta Enterprise Platform builds upon the success of Muse, which debuted earlier this month and quickly ascended to the top of the U.S. and Canada app charts, outpacing ChatGPT.