Things may get ugly': Meta's new AI Muse is about to make the internet more annoying
Someday we'll redesign the internet for tools like this; last week, my finger hovered over the download button for Meta's new AI Muse.
According to experts I interviewed, the internet is about to get more frustrating.
Using its own web browser, Muse can cancel your gym membership, haggle with customer service people, buy groceries, invite friends to parties, you name it.
Millions downloaded Muse in its opening weeks, and OpenAI just announced its own new agent , and last week, my finger hovered over the download button for Meta's new AI Muse.
The company says it won't connect any of the data Muse collects to its advertising systems.
With a simple hack, he says an attacker could have hijacked Muse, all of its data, and even controlled other devices you connected like your phone or a smart lock.
Meta says your data is "sanitised" to remove personally identifiable information before it's used for training, and you can opt-out of AI training with a setting.
And people who use these agents will pay a toll: personal data, perhaps at higher risk than ever before.
On top of complex safety protocols , a Meta spokesperson says Muse asks permission before buying anything and is designed to behave like a "reasonable, honest person" – one who wouldn't, say, buy every ticket to an event, or refresh a page 500 times an hour, according to Meta.
(I got her permission before handing it to Muse.) More than any other digital service, my email is a window into my brain.
Meta fixed it immediately, but Wardle says the oversight made it impossible for him to trust the company's promises about privacy and safety.
What happened
According to experts I interviewed, the internet is about to get more frustrating.
Using its own web browser, Muse can cancel your gym membership, haggle with customer service people, buy groceries, invite friends to parties, you name it.
What changed
Millions downloaded Muse in its opening weeks, and OpenAI just announced its own new agent , and last week, my finger hovered over the download button for Meta's new AI Muse.
Who is affected
The company says it won't connect any of the data Muse collects to its advertising systems.
With a simple hack, he says an attacker could have hijacked Muse, all of its data, and even controlled other devices you connected like your phone or a smart lock.
Why it matters
Meta says your data is "sanitised" to remove personally identifiable information before it's used for training, and you can opt-out of AI training with a setting.
And people who use these agents will pay a toll: personal data, perhaps at higher risk than ever before.
Technical details
On top of complex safety protocols , a Meta spokesperson says Muse asks permission before buying anything and is designed to behave like a "reasonable, honest person" – one who wouldn't, say, buy every ticket to an event, or refresh a page 500 times an hour, according to Meta.
(I got her permission before handing it to Muse.) More than any other digital service, my email is a window into my brain.
Response
Meta fixed it immediately, but Wardle says the oversight made it impossible for him to trust the company's promises about privacy and safety.
If you want a preview of the world that agents may create, look at Taylor Swift.
Attribution
BBC News: Someday we'll redesign the internet for tools like this.
What to watch next
Watch for updated vendor guidance and fixed-version details.