Meta's AI Agent Muse: Why Businesses Are Not Worried Yet

Meta recently introduced its autonomous AI agent Muse, which helps users automate online tasks, particularly shopping. According to company founder Mark Zuckerberg, over 10 million people in the US and Canada have activated the tool, with more than 25% using it to purchase products. Meta reports that the average transaction value made through Muse exceeds $200.

On Wall Street, there are fears that proactive AI assistants like this will erode brand loyalty, trigger price wars, and reduce corporate profits. However, real-world data from major businesses presents a very different picture.

What companies say about the real numbers

Executives from around 50 companies across various sectors—including tourism, finance, food delivery, and insurance—state that they have not yet felt any material impact from Muse. Many believe that the widespread adoption of AI agents will ultimately benefit their businesses.

For example, food delivery service DoorDash stated that the number of orders received via Muse and other AI agents currently stands in the "hundreds". DoorDash CEO Tony Xu even described the hype surrounding agents as "illusory" in some instances.

Similar assessments were made by other industry giants: T-Mobile noted no significant activity from agents, while hotel chain Hilton called AI-generated bookings negligible. E-commerce platform eBay and financial firm Ally Financial also confirmed that transaction shares remain very small.

Analysts had also predicted that users would instruct Muse to cancel unused subscriptions. However, fitness chain Life Time Group, Public Storage, and insurance group Hartford Insurance reported that the rate of subscriptions cancelled by AI agents is zero.

Optimising websites for AI agents

Although the use of AI agents is still in its infancy, some companies are already working to adapt their digital infrastructure. Chipotle Chief Digital Officer Arlie Sisson noted that AI agents often struggled to complete orders when applying discount codes or during non-working hours. The arrival of Muse brought only a slight increase in AI orders at Chipotle, prompting the company to begin improving its website code.

Costco and Extra Space Storage are taking similar steps. Having already seen sales growth coming from chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT, they plan to optimise their online content for autonomous AI agents as well.

Monetisation plans and security risks

Meta holds ambitious financial expectations. Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company plans to charge businesses a commission on transactions executed through Muse. He predicts that this revenue could eventually surpass Meta's core advertising business.

However, not everyone is rushing to partner with Meta. InterContinental Hotels CEO Elie Maalouf stated that discussions with Meta are ongoing, but they remain far from a final agreement.

At the same time, security remains a primary challenge. Bank of America has already warned customers about the risks of sharing banking details with AI assistants. Bank spokesperson Ashley Ross noted that if a customer entrusts their details to a third-party AI tool, responsibility for subsequent transactions rests with the account holder.

Competition and future outlook

The stance of major market players towards AI agents is evolving rapidly. Last month, Amazon attempted to block Muse as part of plans to promote its own assistant, Alexa, but later acknowledged that it will ultimately have to cooperate with external AI agents.

Experts assess that AI agents will significantly transform consumer behaviour in the future, though brand trust, product quality, and service standards will remain decisive factors. For Georgian consumers and the e-commerce sector, this trend indicates that integrating digital platforms with AI is inevitable, though widespread transformation is still some way off.