How to get started with Meta's new AI agent, Muse

Meta just released its first consumer AI agent, Muse . Like agents from other companies, the list of tasks Muse is capable of is long. The agent can browse the web, online shop, fill out forms, plan trips, send emails, schedule events and a whole lot more.

It can connect to a bunch of third-party services like Google and Spotify. And because it can, as Meta's VP of AI Products Vishal Shah told me, "build its own software," it's also able to handle more complex, multi-step tasks as well.

But one of the most interesting elements of Meta's approach is that it has emphasized making Muse more accessible than agents from other platforms. The agent was designed to require "no technical experience" at all, which the company is hoping will enable it to reach people who may not otherwise have access to the technology. And, after a few days of testing out Muse for myself, I can confirm that there is very little learning curve to get started. Here's what you need to know to put Muse to work for you.

Muse is separate from the existing Meta AI app with its own iOS and Android apps and website . You don't need a Facebook or Instagram account, but you will need a Meta account. On web, all I had to do to log in was enter my phone number and Muse AI already had my relevant accounts linked.

After logging in, one of the first things Muse will ask is for you to rename it. I don't know why, but Meta really wants you to name your agent. You can also change its avatar. I named mine boo and changed its avatar to a cat, but it makes no difference, really.

Before you do much else, it's worth checking out Muse's settings. The first setting I wanted to change was opting out of allowing Meta to train its models on my interactions with Muse (er, boo). You can find this by navigating to Muse's settings, scrolling down to "data controls" and deselecting "help improve our AI models."

While you're in settings, it's worth hopping over to the "permissions" tab, which will allow you to change how often your agent needs to ask for permission to do something. Meta's default is for it to "ask for some actions" that require access to the web and third-party services. The company has said that Muse's internal safeguards are meant for it to ask permission in situations where "consent matters" and for it to act on its own in more "low-risk" scenarios. But this also requires trusting that Meta's AI can distinguish what's actually "low risk." And considering that Meta has warned Muse can and will make some mistakes, you may want to switch the settings to "always ask." You can always revisit them later if it seems like there's too much friction.

While you don't need to connect Muse to other services for it to function, you'll be somewhat limited in what you can do if you don't. You can see which third-party apps it can access from the "connectors" tab in the settings menu. Again, you'll want to exercise some caution here. For example, I granted access to Spotify and OpenTable because those seem relatively low risk. It might be annoying if boo created a bunch of terrible playlists on Spotify, or made a dinner reservation at the wrong restaurant, but the damage would be pretty easily contained.