Meta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Threads, has announced a new AI tool, Muse, which it describes as a "personal AI agent built for everyone".
The company's chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, said that Muse is safe, secure and private, and makes sure that users are in control of "what it can access" – all qualities Meta's previous offerings have been criticised for lacking in recent years.
"Introducing Muse, the personal agent that understands your goals and works 24/7 to get things done for you," Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a message on social media platforms.
"You choose which apps and services Muse has access to and you can disconnect them at any time."
On Meta's website, the company displays various uses for Muse and says that the tool works with your existing apps to come up with ways to quicken various tasks.
"It's always working with your goals and suggesting ideas," Meta's marketing material reads. "Give Muse a goal or a task and it builds an action plan, tracks your progress and proactively takes tasks off your plate along the way."
Muse is one of several recent AI tools announced by Meta in recent months. Last year, Mr Zuckerberg hired Alexandr Wang of Scale AI to help the company create products to make Meta a leader in the sector.
Mr Wang described Muse as a "very magical product".
Meta's Muse announcement comes a day before Apple is widely expected to introduce a series of new products, including a foldable phone.
