Meta's Muse AI Agent Draws Scrutiny Over Childlike Mascot and Privacy

Meta's latest AI agent, Muse, reached the top of app charts after its debut at the company's Connect conference, yet its cuddly mascot has prompted questions about whether the product's adult-only restriction can hold. The character, named Jolly, appears in togas, fitness gear and other playful outfits across company promotions and executive social posts. Meta requires users to submit a date of birth and blocks accounts suspected of belonging to minors, according to spokesperson Daniel Roberts.

Development of the agent stretched over months under former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, who joined Meta last year. Teams of thousands tested thousands of task scenarios to improve performance on actions such as booking meetings and handling travel changes. Early internal trials found the system struggling with basic English coherence until weeks before launch, employees told Business Insider. Meta also acquired the founders and staff of Dreamer, an agent-focused startup, to strengthen the underlying technology.

The same design choices that aided rapid adoption now fuel external criticism. Youth advocate Josh Golin of Fairplay described the rounded, Teletubby-like appearance as likely to attract preschool-age children. Marketing professor Julian De Freitas noted that cute aesthetics can lower perceived risk for any user. Meta executive Mona Sarantakos has said the team deliberately chose a non-corporate look to reduce awkwardness in conversations.

Privacy trade-offs remain unresolved. Muse needs broad account access to complete tasks, and Meta trains its models on user interactions unless individuals opt out. The company has said it will later offer a confidential virtual-machine option that cryptographically prevents access to user data. University of Washington professor Ryan Calo compared reliance on such agents to hiring an opaque tour guide whose incentives are unknown.

Meta's stock rose more than 20 percent after the launch, providing a morale lift inside a company still recovering from layoffs and internal surveillance programs. Competitors including Instinct continue to grow, and OpenAI is expected to release its own agent. A Tamagotchi-style hardware device for the Muse character is scheduled for later this year.