More than 10 million people have turned on Meta's Muse, but big companies say it sends them very few orders so far. Here is what that means if you shop or sell online.
Meta's AI shopping helper, Muse, has been turned on by more than 10 million people in the US and Canada. Yet companies say it is sending them very few orders. Wired reviewed earnings calls and spoke with executives at roughly 50 companies, and most said they have seen no real disruption so far.
Wall Street worries that helpers like Muse could weaken brand loyalty, spark price wars and squeeze profits. The companies mostly shrugged that off for now. Several gave blunt numbers or descriptions.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on the company's earnings call that over 25 percent of Muse users used it for shopping. That was more than any other task and above Meta's expectations. Meta pointed to partnerships with 10 retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy and Gap. Many of them reported earnings before Muse launched, so their data is not out yet.
Chipotle found that agents struggled with loyalty discounts and after-hours orders. Muse's debut raised agent orders by a single-digit percentage, so the chain is cleaning up its website code. Costco and Extra Space Storage say sales from chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT are surging, and they plan to do the same for agents.
There is a cost. Zuckerberg said Meta plans to charge businesses a fee on sales made through Muse. He predicted that this income could eventually top Meta's huge advertising business.
Bank of America this week became the latest big bank to warn customers about giving login details to AI assistants. Its message was plain: if you share your credentials, you are responsible for activity that results from that access.
Positions are shifting fast. Amazon blocked Muse last month, saying users would prefer its own Alexa shopping agent, but now expects to work with outside agents. Insurify also blocked Muse and then changed its mind. InterContinental Hotels says it has reached no conclusions about working with Meta. Executives agree that agents are at an early stage.
If you let an AI helper log in for you, Bank of America says you are responsible for what it does with that access.
A former Nvidia product manager has started Udu Technologies to let African startups and institutions rent AI computing power instead of buying it.
Read more: Ex-Nvidia engineer starts company to bring AI computing power to AfricaEA has re-released 25 classic PC games at a discount until November 19, and Bethesda has finally given The Elder Scrolls VI a subtitle: Sentinel.
Read more: EA brings 25 classic PC games back, and Elder Scrolls VI gets a nameOpenAI released a ChatGPT for analysts and bankers that shows where each number came from, a feature that could matter well beyond finance.
Read more: OpenAI launches a ChatGPT built for Wall Street analysts
