Meta has launched its new Muse assistant, marking the company’s first real foray into AI-powered productivity tools. The company says its AI agent can take the busywork off your plate by helping you with online shopping, emails, trip-planning, and more. I decided to try out the new tool and see how well it performed. Though the AI assistant generally worked as I expected it to, the unnerving amount of information it autonomously gleaned about me largely overshadowed my experience.
This marks a significant shift for a firm that previously prioritised entertainment over productivity. The tool carries out actions using a browser interface rather than just generating text, which allows it to actually complete tasks like booking flights or filling forms. However, the depth of personal data required to function creates a privacy concern that outweighs the convenience for many users. The system asks for access to emails and browsing history to operate effectively.
- Muse operates as a browser-based agent capable of executing actions on websites.
- The tool requests extensive permissions to access email and browsing data.
- Meta positions this as a move to compete directly with other AI agents.
