Meta has launched a new AI agent called Muse, designed to be a gateway to users' digital lives. The agent can perform multistep actions on the internet, such as comparing prices, shopping, booking reservations, and filling out forms. However, its success depends on whether popular apps and services are willing to partner with it. Meta has already partnered with Walmart, GameStop, Sephora, Expedia, OpenTable, and Shopify to incorporate their services into the Muse app.
Not all companies are willing to partner with Meta, however. Amazon recently blocked Muse's AI agent from accessing its store, citing concerns around how Amazon account data and credentials would be handled. The company also stated that agents don't offer Amazon's personalized recommendations. Online restaurant reservations platform Resy also declined to partner with Muse, citing risks to the platform and compromising a fair reservation experience for diners.
Despite some setbacks, Muse has been successful, shooting to the top of the free app chart on Apple's App Store just 10 days after its September 8 debut. According to Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst with International Data Corporation, Meta has done a better job at showing Muse's capabilities to consumers compared to other tech giants. The app has already been downloaded more than 2.5 million times, giving businesses visibility to millions of people around the world.
Some experts say AI agents like Muse pose real risks for online service providers. For one, there's the potential decrease in web traffic if tasks are primarily handled on the AI agent apps. Brands could also lose the ability to learn about customer shopping habits or further entice users into additional purchases with in-app promotions or product recommendations. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company eventually plans to charge a commission for transactions made through Muse.
The upside of AI agents like Muse could be huge, however. According to Kathryn Heinz, Expedia's vice president of enterprise alliances and AI, the company chose to allow AI agents because it wants "to show up wherever travelers are searching." Some might see it as a move to future-proof their business. International Data Corporation's Jeronimo believes that long-term, AI platforms will become the layer and main interface for most people when shopping.
The impact of AI agents like Muse could extend beyond shopping and reservation apps. AI agents are generally good at tasks that require research, like comparing insurance policies or mobile carrier plans. This could potentially make it easier for users to switch plans to land a better deal. Shares of Airbnb, Expedia, and Trip Advisor fell around 5% last week after Meta announced new updates for its Muse agent.
As AI agents continue to evolve, companies will need to make a critical choice: Partner with companies like Meta and risk their own platforms possibly becoming irrelevant, or potentially miss out on reaching billions of customers through what may be the future of how people get things done. The battle over the future of internet services has only just begun, and it remains to be seen how companies will navigate this new landscape.
Key points
- Meta's AI agent Muse has sparked a new battle over internet services, with some companies partnering with the agent and others blocking access.
- The success of AI agents like Muse depends on partnerships with popular apps and services.
- AI agents like Muse pose real risks for online service providers, including decreased web traffic and loss of customer shopping habit data.
