Metas viral AI agent can now book travel and shop for you. Amazon says it crossed a line

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Set us as preferred Meta has surprised investors and the tech industry with the launch of a hit artificial intelligence bot for everyday tasks.The company, long seen as an AI laggard, launched its personal AI agent Muse earlier this month.

It was designed for users without special tech skills and already has millions of downloads.Most AI agents that can independently do tasks have targeted sophisticated users.

The open-source AI assistant OpenClaw went viral in January, but using it required a certain level of technical knowledge, creating a barrier for ordinary consumers.Meta’s Muse attempts to let average users manage their own digital assistants through simple prompts and an easy-to-navigate interface.It can handle tasks like sending an email, booking travel, filling out forms or negotiating on behalf of a user.The basic plan is free, but more powerful subscriptions cost up to $100 a month.

“They’re really trying to come across as a differentiator against some of the AI agents in the market,” said Kara Lee, a senior analyst at market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.Muse has climbed the charts — as of Monday, it sat in the No.1 slot for free apps in Apple’s App Store, beating out OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Muse has amassed more than 2.5 million U.S.downloads since launching Sept.

8, according to data from Sensor Tower.Meta’s surprise success helped lift its shares more than 10% on Monday.They cooled slightly on Tuesday, slipping 1% to $736.60.

Meta has been judged harshly for spending billions of dollars on AI without becoming a leader in the technology, so Muse’s popularity surprised some, according to Jefferies senior analyst Brent Thill.“The company has done a good job of launching a really good product,” he said.It remains to be seen whether this initial interest will continue and grow and whether people...