Firms See Little Sales Through Meta's Muse So Far
Executives at about 50 companies say orders from Meta's Muse agent are tiny. Some are already adjusting their websites for AI agents.
Meta's Muse, an agentic AI tool that automates online tasks, was a hot topic on recent earnings calls. Executives at roughly 50 companies told WIRED and their investors that it has had little effect so far. The firms span travel, internet providers, food and self-storage.
Meta says more than 10 million people in the US and Canada have activated Muse. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said over 25 percent used it for shopping, more than any other task. Meta has also claimed that millions of users make purchases averaging more than $200.
Wall Street worries that shopping assistants like Muse will erode brand loyalty, spark price wars and squeeze profits. The companies themselves downplayed that.
"Insignificant" numbers
DoorDash put orders from Muse and other agents in the "hundreds." T-Mobile said it had not seen "anything of significance." Hilton called bookings from agents "insignificant." Ally Financial described activity as "quite low," and eBay said "very, very small." Eternal, the Indian delivery company, estimated agentic commerce at "close to zero."
Fitness chain Life Time Group has "seen zero" cancellations from agents. Public Storage and Hartford Insurance Group gave similar data.
Some firms are preparing anyway. Chipotle's chief digital officer, Arlie Sisson, said agents struggled to finish purchases because of loyalty discounts and after-hours orders. Muse's debut raised agentic orders by a single-digit percentage, she said. Chipotle is now tidying its website code.
Costco and Extra Space Storage say sales from chatbots such as Gemini and ChatGPT are surging as they optimize content for the tools. They plan to do the same for agents. DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, who sits on Meta's board, said the current hype around agents might be "delusional."
Zuckerberg said Meta plans to charge businesses a fee on transactions through Muse. Meta has partnerships with 10 retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy and Gap. Many last reported earnings before Muse launched. InterContinental Hotels CEO Elie Maalouf said, "We haven't come to any conclusions on what an eventual collaboration could look like, if any."
Stances are shifting. Amazon blocked Muse last month, saying users would prefer its own Alexa shopping agent. This week it said it expects to work with outside agents. Insurify also blocked Muse, then reversed course after adding technology so agents could present accurate offers.
Bank of America warned customers this week against giving login details to AI assistants. "If you do share your credentials, keep in mind that you're responsible for activity resulting from that access," wrote Ashley Ross, its chief client care officer.
Source: WIRED