Meta's Muse AI Agent Can Shop and Complete Purchases
Meta has launched its new AI agent, Muse, capable of searching for products, preparing purchases, and requesting user approval before checkout. Several major retailers have partnered with the service.
Meta Platforms has introduced a new artificial intelligence agent named Muse, designed to simplify various daily tasks, including shopping. Muse can search retail websites for desired products, prepare a shopping cart, and request final user approval before completing a transaction.
The agent streamlines the purchasing process by gathering necessary information from the user, such as shipping addresses and contact details. For payments, Muse integrates with partners like Stripe Link or Shopify Shop Pay, which can generate one-time-use cards to protect the user's actual payment information. Meta intends to charge a small fee for transactions processed through its Muse agent.
Meta has established partnerships with a number of prominent retailers, including Walmart, Gap, Sephora, Expedia, Wayfair, and Best Buy. These collaborations grant Muse official access to the retailers' platforms. While some partnerships are already active, more are expected.
However, some companies have implemented restrictions on Muse's capabilities. E-commerce giant Amazon, for instance, has blocked Muse from purchasing products on its site, citing violations of its terms of service and concerns over customer data scraping. This development highlights ongoing discussions regarding the role of AI shopping agents and their impact on competition within the retail sector.