Meta's Muse adds AI calling for paid US subscribers

Meta is positioning Muse as an everyday consumer product, and placing calls is one way it aims to make consumer AI mainstream by handling another task on people's to-do lists. The feature was initially tested in September with a select number of early adopters who had to ask the AI for access; now anyone who pays for Muse can make this type of request.

Muse is not alone in offering this. Startup Instinct has been offering a similar option, as has Google's Gemini. But the reception on the other end of the line can be mixed, as many businesses and receptionists hang up on calls from AI agents as soon as they identify that it's not a human. With AI now better able to mimic a real human voice, being able to tell the difference between a customer and an AI working on the customer's behalf will get tougher.

Despite the challenges, the feature could appeal to consumers frustrated with customer service, who have long navigated complex phone trees and sat on hold waiting for a human representative. For now, calls remain paid-only, while the recently added option to make a Muse email address will soon roll out to free users.