The Personal Agents Era Comes With Caveats

Always-on AI agents are moving beyond answering prompts to executing tasks across apps, with Meta, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft betting on digital coworkers

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In November 1996, Japanese toymaker Bandai put a pet inside a plastic egg. The Tamagotchi, whose name blends tamago, Japanese for egg, with watch, had a tiny screen and three buttons to feed the creature, play with it and switch off its lights. Neglect it for too long, and it died. The toy went on to sell about 40 Mn units.

Thirty years later, Meta has its own take on the idea. 

At its Connect event last month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off the Muse Charm, a keychain-sized device with a small screen and an animated avatar representing Meta’s AI agent Muse. Tap the device, and you can talk to it and get it to do tasks for you. 

But unlike the Tamagotchi, which demanded its owner’s constant attention, Muse is designed to keep working without guilt-tripping its owner.

Muse is part of Meta’s bet on always-on AI agents that can take everyday tasks off users’ hands. By connecting to their apps and services, the agent can send emails, fill forms, make plans and even make purchases autonomously. In return, users must grant it access to personal information, accounts and digital workflows.

The........

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