Meta launches personal AI agent, Muse, emphasizes safety and privacy
[September 09, 2026] By
BARBARA ORTUTAY
Meta launched on Tuesday a personal artificial intelligence agent, Muse,
for people 18 and over who are looking for help with day-to-day tasks
like schedules, shopping and, in the company's words, turning “long-term
goals into action plans.”
The parent company of Instagram and Facebook is stressing the safety and
privacy features of the agent, which for now is only available in the
U.S. Muse, Meta said, runs on a dedicated, secure virtual machine that
houses both the agent and the user's data.
People can message the agent in a separate app, called Muse, or message
it in WhatsApp. It can handle simple tasks like sending an email or
booking travel, or bigger, long-term goals like creating a yearlong
exercise plan or setting up a new business.
“Once a person shares a goal with Muse, it helps them develop a
personalized plan and coordinate their time and resources, then advances
the work on its own. It can open a browser, fill out forms, and
negotiate on their behalf,” Meta said in a blog post.
Tech companies are touting AI agents as the next step after chatbots,
which can answer questions and retrieve information but won't take
action on the user's behalf.
At its most basic level, an AI agent works like a traditional,
human-crafted computer program that executes a job, like launching an
application. Combined with an AI large language model, however, it can
search for knowledge that enables it to complete tasks without explicit,
step-by-step instructions. That means, instead of just helping you draft
the language of an email, it can theoretically handle the whole process
— receiving a message from your coworker, figuring out what you might
want to say, and firing off the response on its own.
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A car passes Facebook's new Meta logo on a sign at the company
headquarters on Oct. 28, 2021, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony
Avelar, File)
 For Meta, the agent fits into CEO
Mark Zuckerberg's vision of AI superintelligence that's available to
“everyone.” He outlined his vision last month in a 6,500-word essay
published online.
In the document derided by critics as fantastical, Zuckerberg said
his company is working toward an era where everyone will have the
tools to create new businesses, receive Ph.D.-level tutoring and
provide personalized lifestyle tips.
“Everyone will have an exceptionally capable personal agent that
understands you, your goals, and everything you care about. Your
agent will work 24/7 on your behalf to improve your relationships,
health, career, finances, home management, hobbies, and more,”
Zuckerberg wrote. “It will free up time for the things you enjoy,
and help you accomplish more than you could otherwise.”
The question is, will people actually use it?
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