Home · Technology · Sep 20 archive
Meta’s Muse is creepy, but maybe not for the reasons you think
Confirmed
In Short: Jason Aten, a contributing editor at Inc Magazine, shared screenshots of an interaction with Muse on Threads, highlighting the assistant's confusion when explaining its own features.
Meta is reportedly dropping the camera from its next smart glasses, Luna, as backlash over covert filming mounts, according to The Information. The glasses, set to launch this fall, will instead rely on six microphones to enable users to interact with Meta’s AI assistant, Muse, and built-in speakers to deliver responses.
Jason Aten, a contributing editor at Inc Magazine, shared screenshots of an interaction with Muse on Threads, highlighting the assistant's confusion when explaining its own features. Aten noted that the issue isn't about Muse reading texts illicitly but rather its lack of understanding.
David Singleton from Meta’s Superintelligence Labs responded to Aten’s post, explaining the permissions Muse needs to access messages and apologizing for the incorrect response. Singleton assured that Meta is working to improve Muse’s understanding of its own functions.
Muse, which has been downloaded over 900,000 times in its first week, according to Sensor Tower, is designed to follow up with users and store interaction details in a 'Memory' document. It can also connect to other data sources like email and bank accounts.
Despite its impressive capabilities, some users find Muse's constant data collection unsettling. Calli Schroeder, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, expressed skepticism about Meta’s assurances of user control.
Meta spokesperson Emil Vazquez defended Muse, stating that the app is built with user control in mind and that any suggestion otherwise is 'ludicrous.' However, the app’s persistent data collection and cross-promotion on other Meta platforms have raised privacy concerns.
Muse’s ability to browse the web on behalf of users is genuinely impressive, but its primary function seems to be data collection. The app’s default avatar, a beige creature with outstretched arms, symbolizes its data-gathering capabilities.
Meta’s push to bring AI to the masses with Muse is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, with competitors like Disney also launching AI initiatives. However, the app’s effectiveness and privacy implications remain a subject of debate.
What this adds
Meta’s decision to remove the camera from Luna smart glasses addresses privacy concerns but raises questions about the app’s data collection practices. Despite its impressive features, Muse’s constant data collection and follow-up suggestions have raised privacy concerns among users.
Background
Muse, Meta’s latest AI app, has seen slower adoption compared to ChatGPT and its own previous launches.
Meta has introduced its new AI assistant, Muse, while big companies like Disney and Meta have launched 'AI leaderboards' to track employee AI usage, according to reports. Meanwhile, fake Jimmy Kimmel videos are circulating online, leading to confusion among viewers.
What's confirmed
- Meta is reportedly dropping the camera from its next smart glasses, Luna, as backlash over covert filming mounts, according to The Information. The glasses, set to launch this fall, will instead rely on six microphones to enable users to interact with Meta’s AI assistant, Muse, and built-in speakers to deliver responses.
- Jason Aten, a contributing editor at Inc Magazine, shared screenshots of an interaction with Muse on Threads, highlighting the assistant's confusion when explaining its own features. Aten noted that the issue isn't about Muse reading texts illicitly but rather its lack of understanding.
- David Singleton from Meta’s Superintelligence Labs responded to Aten’s post, explaining the permissions Muse needs to access messages and apologizing for the incorrect response. Singleton assured that Meta is working to improve Muse’s understanding of its own functions.
- Muse, which has been downloaded over 900,000 times in its first week, according to Sensor Tower, is designed to follow up with users and store interaction details in a 'Memory' document. It can also connect to other data sources like email and bank accounts.
- Despite its impressive capabilities, some users find Muse's constant data collection unsettling. Calli Schroeder, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, expressed skepticism about Meta’s assurances of user control.
- Meta spokesperson Emil Vazquez defended Muse, stating that the app is built with user control in mind and that any suggestion otherwise is 'ludicrous.' However, the app’s persistent data collection and cross-promotion on other Meta platforms have raised privacy concerns.
- Muse’s ability to browse the web on behalf of users is genuinely impressive, but its primary function seems to be data collection. The app’s default avatar, a beige creature with outstretched arms, symbolizes its data-gathering capabilities.
- Meta’s push to bring AI to the masses with Muse is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, with competitors like Disney also launching AI initiatives. However, the app’s effectiveness and privacy implications remain a subject of debate.
What's still developing
- Meta may have found the easiest way to make smart glasses less creepy: take out the camera.
- Meta’s next smart glasses could lose the camera OpenAI is footing the bill for more biology data GLP-1s are finding a life beyond weight loss Image source: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty / Images 2.5 The Rundown: Meta is reportedly dropping the camera from its next smart glasses as backlash over covert filming mounts, with an audio-focused pair codenamed Luna due this fall, The Information reports.
- Luna reportedly has slimmer arms than previous Meta glasses and would come in Clubmaster and Burbank styles, bringing it closer to ordinary eyewear.
- He suggests that the issue isn’t Muse illicitly reading Aten’ texts, but simply that Muse has no idea what it’s talking about: In the conversation with his Muse in Jason’s screenshots, when Muse said it synced “device notifications”, it was confused about how to explain the feature and gave an incorrect explanation.
- Meta’s Muse is apparently an effective AI assistant, but one that’s a little creepy.
- But for all its smarts, Muse doesn’t actually know how to describe itself.
- For example, I asked Muse to order breakfast from a local bakery called Kahnfections.
- Muse quickly found cheap, local couches for sale within my parameters and offered to message sellers to arrange pick-ups.
- The agent is designed to follow up with users, so Muse nudged me the next day to consider getting the couch I said was my favorite.
- Muse stores details about your interactions and preferences in a “Memory” document found by tapping the avatar in the top middle of the screen.
- The day after I said I wanted help saving money for a fancy vacation, Muse offered to “wire your savings tracker to your real balance” if I just tapped a few buttons and linked the data from my checking and savings accounts.
- Every suggested interaction with Muse started to feel like a guise for me to upload more data about myself for Meta to see.
Sources
- The Rundown AIlink
- The Vergelink
- WIREDlink
- The Vergelink
- Petapixellink
- Technologylink
- Fox Businesslink
- Iclarifiedlink
- Techbuzzlink
- TechCrunchlink
- Therundownlink
- Androidauthoritylink
- Analyticsinsightlink
- Tech-Insiderlink
- WarpBeat — background on Meta’s New AI App Muse Struggles to Match ChatGPT’s Early Success link
- WarpBeat — background on Meta's AI Muse Raises Concerns, Late-Night Hosts Faked Online link