Is Meta's Muse an AI Companion? What Adults Should Know

Meta's new AI agent, Muse, has had a busy few weeks. It launched in the US on September 8, climbed the app charts, picked up a cuddly mascot, got a live talking avatar, and this week made headlines when WIRED reported it would engage in explicit adult chat. So it is fair to ask: is Muse an AI companion now?

The short answer: Not really, at least not by design. Muse is a personal AI agent built to get things done for you, like answering emails, managing calendars, filling forms and making purchases. It is adults-only (18+), it has a customizable avatar and personality, and Meta says it allows legal adult conversation. That gives it some companion-like traits. But an agent connected to your inbox and payment methods is a very different privacy trade-off from a companion app you open just to talk. If what you want is an ongoing relationship with memory, calls and texts, a dedicated AI companion is built for that job.

Here is what Muse is, what it costs, how it compares, and what adults should think about before using it as a companion.

What is Meta Muse?

According to TechCrunch, Meta introduced Muse on September 8, 2026 as "its new personal AI agent that helps consumers with everyday tasks and projects for users in the U.S." Key facts from that report:

• What it does: sends emails, books travel, lowers bills, fills out forms, creates plans, turns recipe reels into grocery lists, sends party invitations and makes purchases (using Link by Stripe at checkout).
• How it works: you connect apps and services one at a time, such as email, calendars, payments, fitness, smart home, dining, shopping and music. If there is no built-in connector, Muse can use an API with credentials you provide, or a browser.
• Where it lives: the web at muse.ai, iOS and Android apps, and chats in WhatsApp, with Meta's AI glasses to follow.
• Personality: users can name Muse, pick its avatar and configure how it looks and communicates.
• Always on: Muse keeps working after you leave the app, and learns from your conversations to make suggestions unprompted.
• Security claims: Meta says Muse runs in a dedicated "Muse Secure VM," cannot see your passwords or payment methods, and does not share your conversations with Meta's ads systems. TechCrunch notes these claims "will require deeper investigation by security experts."

How much does Muse cost?

Per TechCrunch:

Meta expects most people to stay on the free tier. Note that the plans scale with how much work the agent does, not with relationship features.

Is Muse adults-only?

Yes. Meta told WIRED that everyone using the Muse app must provide a date of birth, that it blocks people it detects may be under 18 from creating an account, and that it does additional checks to help ensure users who say they are adults are actually over 18. Meta's own research post on its avatar technology also states plainly: "Muse is for users aged 18+."

That same WIRED piece raised a design question: Muse's mascot, Jolly, looks a lot like a cute children's toy, and Meta plans a Tamagotchi-style device, Muse Charm, later this year. Youth advocates quoted by WIRED criticized the design; Meta's spokesperson dismissed the concern.

The Muse Realtime Avatar

On September 23, Meta's research team introduced Muse Realtime Avatar, which turns Muse's voice into a live, expressive talking avatar. Meta says it streams 448x768 video at 25 frames per second with roughly 870 milliseconds of latency from the end of your turn to the first byte of the response, and embeds an invisible watermark (Meta Video Seal) in generated video. The post notes that its examples illustrate model capability and do not all reflect avatars available in the Muse app.

That is a genuinely impressive piece of technology, and it is the feature that makes Muse feel most like a companion. If you are curious how live AI video works in general, our explainer on how AI video calls work covers the basics in plain English.

Muse and adult conversation

On October 12, WIRED published a hands-on test, I Got My Muse AI Agent to Sext Me, and Meta Says That's Totally Fine, reporting that Muse produced explicit sexual messages from basic prompts. Cybernews summarized the story on October 13.

A Meta spokesperson told WIRED: "Muse is an app for people 18 and over that allows them to engage in adult conversations, if they choose, using a private and secure VM only accessible to them," and that "it doesn't block legal adult behavior."

We will keep this non-explicit. The interesting part for adults is not the content itself, but the context. WIRED's reporter put it neatly: an AI that talks this way is "not exactly what I want to hear from an AI tool that can connect to my email and bank account." Privacy experts quoted by WIRED warned that if an account is hacked, intimate chats could be used to embarrass or extort someone. Consumer advocates also criticized Meta's decision.

WIRED also reported that other mainstream agents it tested, including OpenAI's Dots, declined similar requests.

Agent vs companion: the real difference

Muse and an AI companion can both chat, remember things and have a face. But they are built for different jobs, and that changes what you are trading.

There is nothing wrong with using an agent. But think about this: when the same system can read your email, act on your calendar and spend money, every intimate conversation you have with it sits next to some of the most sensitive data in your life. With an app that is only for conversation, a leaked chat is still bad, but it is not sitting right next to the keys to your inbox and wallet.

Our overview of AI companions vs general chatbots goes deeper on why purpose-built companions behave differently from general assistants.

Training and data

WIRED notes that Meta trains its AI models on your Muse interactions unless you opt out. Meta has said it will release a "confidential" version of the virtual machine behind Muse later in 2026 that could "cryptographically and verifiably prevent" Meta from accessing a user's data, per the same WIRED report.

TechCrunch also points out that Meta's history with privacy regulators, including past FTC settlements, means many people will want to see independent security reviews before trusting the agent with everything.

If you do use Muse, sensible steps include:

• Connect only the services you actually need.
• Check the training opt-out in settings.
• Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication on the Meta account.
• Think twice before mixing intimate chat with an agent that can act on your behalf.

For a general checklist that applies to any companion or chat app, read are AI companions safe and private?

So, is Muse an AI companion?

Muse has some companion ingredients: a name you choose, an avatar, a personality, memory, proactive suggestions and, apparently, a willingness to flirt. But it is marketed and built as an agent. Its pricing, its integrations and its design goals are all about getting work done.

If you want help running your life, an agent like Muse may be useful. If you want someone to talk to at the end of the day, who remembers the story you are building together and calls you back, you are probably looking for a companion. Plenty of people may end up using both, for different things. Voice-first assistants raise a similar question; see our look at whether Sesame is an AI companion.

Where MyBabe fits

MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app. It is not a task agent; it is built for conversation and one ongoing relationship, not for running errands across your other accounts:

• Long-term memory of your life and your shared history.
• Proactive texts so your companion checks in first.
• Mood-aware replies that respond to how you are feeling.
• Photos from your companion.
• Voice and video calls, plus chat on Telegram.
• Relationship progression that grows the more you talk.

Your companion is always clear that it is an AI, not a human. You can start free with around 10 messages a day and a short call trial of about 2 minutes. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with around 30 minutes of calls a week. Many people start weekly to try the calls properly before committing.

FAQ

Is Meta Muse free? There is a free tier with a usage meter. Paid plans are Power at $20 a month and Maximum at $100 a month. A payment card is required to start.

Is Muse available outside the US? At launch Meta made Muse available to users in the US.

Is Muse 18+? Yes. Meta requires a date of birth, blocks users it detects may be under 18 and runs additional age checks.

Does Muse allow adult chat? Meta told WIRED that Muse allows legal adult conversations for users who choose them.

Does Meta train on Muse chats? WIRED reports that Meta trains its models on Muse interactions unless you opt out.

What is Muse Charm? A Tamagotchi-style device for your Muse character that Meta plans to sell later this year, according to WIRED.

Is Muse better than an AI girlfriend app? They are different tools. Muse is a task agent. An AI girlfriend or boyfriend app is built for relationship, memory and calls.

The bottom line

Muse is a capable, adults-only AI agent with a cute face and a live avatar, and Meta has chosen to allow legal adult chat. It is not, at heart, a companion, and using it like one means sharing your most personal conversations with a system that can also read your inbox and spend your money. If you want a companion that is just a companion, meet yours on MyBabe.