Meta's Muse AI Agent Proves Dangerously Good at Emptying Your Wallet

Meta promises that its new Muse AI agent will handle all those nagging tasks cluttering your to-do list. After a morning of testing, the verdict is mixed: it genuinely works, but mostly when your credit card is involved.

How Muse Performed on Real Tasks#

The agent, represented by an endearing avatar you can nickname (the tester chose Marley), went to work across several projects:

• Following up with a landscaper: Muse accessed Gmail, confirmed delays on a yard-renovation quote, and drafted a follow-up email within minutes. (The tester promptly regretted the task—the message arrived slightly snippy.)
• Ordering espresso machine parts: A seven-dollar steam wand assembly that had languished unwanted for years was found and added to a cart in moments.
• Contacting junk removal services: Muse performed best here, compiling information about local hauling companies, gathering the necessary details (address, photo), and submitting quote requests on the tester's behalf.
• Browsing for camping gear: The agent successfully navigated OXO's website and Walmart after Amazon blocked it with a stern warning about violating terms of service.

Tasks requiring human interaction—like a phone call to downgrade a security system plan—proved beyond Muse's current reach, though Meta is reportedly working on that capability.

The Credit Card Problem#

The real danger emerges when shopping is involved. Once the tester linked a credit card via Stripe, approving purchases became disturbingly frictionless. Within hours, Muse had assembled a $500 cart of camping kitchen gear and a propane fire pit—then helpfully prioritized items and identified holiday sale opportunities. Espresso supplies followed. The cute avatar cheerfully filled in address fields across multiple retailers while confirmations pinged into the inbox.

"It is shockingly easy to spend money when a cute little guy is running around the internet with your credit card," the tester observed.

The Privacy Trade-Off#

Testing required surrendering substantial personal data: full name, home address, credit card details, a photo of the backyard, and login credentials for the home security account. Meta insists everything is encrypted and that Muse can't access sensitive payment information—a reassurance that rang hollow to the tester, who noted: "If AI decides to kill us all I just secured my spot at the front of the line."