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CNN Tries Meta’s Muse Agent and Finds Useful Plans but Stalled Purchases

A hands-on test found that connected accounts helped the agent finish everyday tasks, while outdated listings and retailer restrictions still demanded human help.

By 3 min read
CNN Tries Meta’s Muse Agent and Finds Useful Plans but Stalled Purchases
CNN Tries Meta’s Muse Agent and Finds Useful Plans but Stalled Purchases

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Meta’s Muse can turn a move into a day-by-day packing plan—and, with Google connected, email a friend and organize restaurant ideas in a document. But CNN’s hands-on test found the harder part is getting from a useful plan to a finished task. For an upcoming move, the reviewer told Muse what remained to pack and set a deadline. It broke the work into short daily sessions. Connected Google apps let it send a trip email and turn restaurant suggestions into a document with alternatives. CNN found ChatGPT and Gemini sometimes offered more detail. The gaps mattered. Muse recommended two date-night spots that had been closed for years, so the user would need to verify local suggestions. Shopping exposed a different limit: Amazon blocked browsing, while Target allowed browsing but blocked automated checkout. The reviewer had to enter personal details manually. A shampoo order also stopped because the seller required a professional license number. Meta says Muse runs on a dedicated cloud computer, with a separate Sentinel agent controlling internet access. It says Muse cannot see passwords or payment details and asks before sending email or making purchases. Those safeguards don’t make listings current or override retailer rules. And although Muse’s Ideas tab describes negotiating on Facebook Marketplace, CNN’s test got an offer to draft a message instead. Meta says negotiation is supported within user-set limits. Sensor Tower data cited by CNN put Muse above 2.5 million downloads since launch. The open question is how often users still have to check—or finish—the work.

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3 key points

CNN’s test of Meta’s Muse, launched September 8 in the US, found an agent that can turn moving and trip requests into schedules, emails and documents—but does not reliably carry tasks through to completion. Outdated restaurant listings undermined recommendations, while Amazon blocked browsing and Target prevented automated checkout; some purchases also ran into seller requirements. Meta’s security checks and...

  1. 01

    With Google apps connected, Muse emailed a friend and turned restaurant suggestions into a Google Doc with alternatives; CNN found ChatGPT and Gemini sometimes more detailed.

  2. 02

    Muse’s Ideas tab describes contacting Facebook Marketplace sellers to negotiate, but in CNN’s test it offered to draft a message instead. Meta said it can negotiate within user-set

  3. 03

    Meta says its Sentinel agent approves internet access or requests permission; Muse cannot see passwords or payment methods and checks before sending email or making purchases.

Meta built Muse to take care of tasks, not just suggest how to do them. In CNN’s hands-on test, the agent sent an email and organized trip ideas. It also recommended long-closed venues and hit barriers while shopping. Acting on a request is one thing; getting the next step right is another.

Muse launched on September 8 as a personal AI agent designed to work across connected services. It is available in the US through a standalone app and WhatsApp. CNN tested how much everyday work it could finish.

Where Muse finished the job

For an upcoming move, the CNN reviewer listed what was left to pack, gave a deadline and asked to work in short sessions. Muse returned a day-by-day schedule with time allotted for each session.

After the reviewer connected Google apps, Muse emailed a friend about a planned trip. It then turned the friend’s restaurant suggestions into a Google Doc with alternative options. CNN also found that ChatGPT and Gemini sometimes gave more detailed responses on similar tasks.

An old listing and a blocked checkout

Asked for date-night ideas, Muse suggested two nearby places that had been closed for years. The reviewer would have needed to check those suggestions before making a reservation. This was an accuracy failure, separate from the website restrictions that complicated shopping.

Amazon blocked Muse from browsing its store, though the agent could find product links through search engines. At Target, Muse could browse, but the retailer blocked automated checkout clicks. The reviewer had to enter personal details manually. One restriction limited browsing; the other stopped autonomous checkout.

A shampoo purchase stalled for another reason: the seller required a professional license number. Muse inspected the site and explained the obstacle. It could identify why the task stopped, even though it could not finish it.

A feature description meets a narrower result

Muse’s Ideas tab described an agent that could message Facebook Marketplace sellers and negotiate a price. In CNN’s attempt, Muse said it could not contact sellers directly and offered to draft a message instead. A Meta spokesperson maintained that the description was accurate and said Muse can negotiate within user-set parameters. Why the attempt fell short remains unclear.

Meta says Muse runs on a dedicated cloud computer. A separate Sentinel agent approves internet access or asks the user for permission. Muse cannot see passwords or payment methods, Meta says, and checks before sending email or making purchases. Those safeguards do not fix an outdated listing or override a retailer’s website rules.

Sensor Tower data cited by CNN put Muse above 2.5 million downloads since launch and at the top of the iPhone App Store’s free-app chart. The test leaves a question that downloads cannot answer: how often will users have to check or finish the agent’s work?

Sources

  1. about.fb.comIntroducing Muse: The World’s First Personal AI Agent Built for Everyone
  2. cnn.comMeta says its Muse AI agent can do things for you. I put it to the test | CNN Business

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