AI is more than a chatbot now; Meta's Muse is coming to India

Technology: Meta's Muse AI Agent has begun appearing on Instagram in India, suggesting that the company is preparing to launch its advanced artificial intelligence assistant in the country soon. Several users in India have reported seeing the feature when attempting to share Reels or posts, but clicking it redirects them to an app download prompt, followed by a message stating that the service is unavailable in their region, according to Deccan Herald.

Initially launched in the US, Canada, and select regions, Muse AI differs from Meta's existing AI chatbot. Powered by Muse Spark large language models, the agent can understand complex requests and perform multi-step tasks with limited supervision.

Once connected to relevant apps and accounts, Muse can book movie tickets, reserve restaurant tables, order groceries, and monitor flight fares and product prices. It can also analyse Instagram performance metrics to help content creators improve audience reach and plan their posts.

The assistant can proactively manage reminders, create to-do lists, track brand payments, identify unused subscriptions and monitor spending against savings goals. Meta also claims it can generate personalised digital tools, including dashboards, meal planners and workout trackers.

The company says Muse operates through a dedicated cloud-based security system, with safeguards for credentials and payment information. It also requires user approval before sensitive actions such as sending emails or making purchases.

However, Meta's privacy record could pose a challenge to its adoption. The company has repeatedly faced scrutiny over user data protection, while its recently launched Muse Image AI tool was paused following backlash over its automatic opt-in for public Instagram accounts.

Muse is currently available in the US on iOS, Android and its website, with most features offered free of charge.