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Meta says it’s changing AI suggestions after posing invasive personal questions
Confirmed
In Short: Meta is addressing privacy concerns after a viral video highlighted invasive personal questions posed by its new AI app, Muse.
Meta is adjusting its AI app, Muse, following a viral video that exposed the app's tendency to ask invasive personal questions, according to reports. The video, posted by Instagram user Kalie Robins, showed Meta AI prompting her to identify the child in one of her videos, raising privacy concerns.
In a statement to The Verge, a Meta spokesperson said, 'The feature never should have prompted the individual with questions like that.' The company acknowledged that it 'missed the mark' and is now making changes to the prompts suggested by its AI chatbot. The incident has sparked discussions about the balance between utility and privacy in AI applications.
Robins, the user who posted the video, explained that when she selected the prompt, Meta AI pieced together information about her daughters from her previous posts and those of her relatives. This raised concerns about the extent to which the AI could access and use personal data. Meta is now working to ensure that such invasive suggestions are no longer made.
Meta is also emphasizing the privacy features of Muse, including a 'confidential' version of the virtual machine that will be encrypted so that even Meta cannot access it. The company plans to introduce this feature later this year, along with support for 1Password and Shop Pay, and integration with Stripe’s Link for secure transactions.
Despite the privacy concerns, Meta is positioning Muse as a 'personal AI agent' designed to help with everyday tasks and projects, such as online shopping, sending emails, and planning trips. The app is designed to work on its own, opening browsers, filling out forms, and even negotiating on users' behalf. For longer tasks, it will continue working in the background, returning to users if necessary.
Meta is making another push to bring artificial intelligence to the masses with Muse, a personal assistant it says can put AI in the hands of virtually anyone. While the product is similar to AI assistants from competitors, Meta is highlighting its ease of use and privacy options, having spent billions overhauling its AI strategy.
What's confirmed
- Meta is adjusting its AI app, Muse, following a viral video that exposed the app's tendency to ask invasive personal questions, according to reports. The video, posted by Instagram user Kalie Robins, showed Meta AI prompting her to identify the child in one of her videos, raising privacy concerns.
- In a statement to The Verge, a Meta spokesperson said, 'The feature never should have prompted the individual with questions like that.' The company acknowledged that it 'missed the mark' and is now making changes to the prompts suggested by its AI chatbot. The incident has sparked discussions about the balance between utility and privacy in AI applications.
- Robins, the user who posted the video, explained that when she selected the prompt, Meta AI pieced together information about her daughters from her previous posts and those of her relatives. This raised concerns about the extent to which the AI could access and use personal data. Meta is now working to ensure that such invasive suggestions are no longer made.
- Meta is also emphasizing the privacy features of Muse, including a 'confidential' version of the virtual machine that will be encrypted so that even Meta cannot access it. The company plans to introduce this feature later this year, along with support for 1Password and Shop Pay, and integration with Stripe’s Link for secure transactions.
- Despite the privacy concerns, Meta is positioning Muse as a 'personal AI agent' designed to help with everyday tasks and projects, such as online shopping, sending emails, and planning trips. The app is designed to work on its own, opening browsers, filling out forms, and even negotiating on users' behalf. For longer tasks, it will continue working in the background, returning to users if necessary.
- Meta is making another push to bring artificial intelligence to the masses with Muse, a personal assistant it says can put AI in the hands of virtually anyone. While the product is similar to AI assistants from competitors, Meta is highlighting its ease of use and privacy options, having spent billions overhauling its AI strategy.
What's still developing
- Disrupt 2026: OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, and more take over 6 industry stages. 25% off tickets now Back by popular demand: Save up to $300 on Disrupt Meta is beginning to win over Wall Street following Tuesday’s launch of its new AI app, Muse.
- According to new data provided by the market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Muse has been downloaded north of 83,000 times on iOS in the United States. (The app is currently limited to the U.S. for now.) While this pushed Muse into the No. 2 position on the App Store’s Top Charts, its launch pales when compared with other recent app debuts from Meta, like Threads and Meta AI, the data indicates.
- In this case, Meta AI may have pulled from videos where Robins named her children, according to El-Kassaby.
- “Muse is a first step: an agent that takes on more of the work so people can focus on what matters to them,” Meta said.
- While Meta is pitching Muse as “the world’s first personal AI agent built for everyone,” the product is, in fact, very similar to the growing array of AI assistants, teammates, and coworkers on offer from the company’s competitors.