Meta’s Muse, an agentic artificial-intelligence tool that automates online tasks, has become a focal point on recent corporate earnings calls. Meta reports that millions of users employ the service, with average purchases exceeding $200. Wall Street analysts warn that such proactive shopping assistants could erode brand loyalty, trigger price wars, and compress corporate margins. Despite the hype, executives across multiple sectors remain skeptical about immediate disruption.
Executives representing roughly fifty firms,from travel providers to internet carriers, food chains and self-storage operators,concur that Muse is still in an early stage. Many argue that widespread adoption could ultimately benefit their businesses rather than threaten them. The consensus on earnings calls was that the technology has not yet produced material competitive pressure, allowing companies to observe its evolution while preparing modest adjustments to digital interfaces.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told investors that more than ten million people in the United States and Canada have activated Muse, and that over a quarter of those users employ the assistant for shopping,more than any other task and above internal forecasts. Meta declined further comment but highlighted partnerships with ten retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy and Gap, intended to streamline purchases through the agent. Those retailers have not yet disclosed sales data that could be linked to Muse activity.
Several companies are already tweaking their digital properties to accommodate agents. Chipotle’s chief digital officer Arlie Sisson reported that Muse-driven orders rose by a single-digit percentage but that the bot often stumbled on loyalty-discount logic and after-hours ordering, prompting a code cleanup. Doordash is evaluating similar adjustments, though CEO and Meta board member Tony Xu described current hype as “delusional.” Costco and Extra Space Storage have observed surging sales from AI chatbots such as Gemini and ChatGPT and plan comparable optimizations for agentic platforms.
Meta intends to monetize Muse by charging businesses a transaction fee, and Zuckerberg suggested that revenue could eventually surpass the company’s advertising earnings. InterContinental Hotels’ chief executive Elie Maalouf said discussions with Meta remain exploratory, with no firm collaboration defined. Meanwhile, Bank of America warned customers against sharing login credentials with AI assistants, reminding users they remain liable for any activity resulting from such access. Security and erroneous orders continue to be top concerns for enterprises.
Competitive dynamics are already shifting. Amazon blocked Muse last month, arguing that shoppers would favor its Alexa shopping assistant, yet the retailer later signaled openness to external agents. Insurify initially barred Muse but reversed its stance after deploying technology that ensures agents present accurate insurance offers. These moves illustrate a broader industry trend of testing, restricting, and gradually integrating AI agents as firms balance potential sales gains against brand and security considerations.