Meta has been testing a "human concierge" feature in which people assist Muse, its personal artificial intelligence agent, according to findings. The test has been suspended over concerns about personal data leaks, but the episode points to how human labor is still being used to make AI work seamlessly.
Reuters reported on the 22nd that Meta notified employees of the human concierge test plan on its internal network last week. Meta launched Muse, an AI agent built for everyday services, on Sept. 8. Muse sends emails, shops and books travel on behalf of users.
Meta assigned employees to Muse's "calling service," in which the agent talks with the other party and handles tasks for the user. Muse was designed to place calls in place of users to book hair appointments or check store inventory, but when some recipients refused to take calls from the AI, the company hired contract workers and directed them to carry out Muse's tasks instead.
The service was halted, however, after some Meta employees raised concerns about personal data leaks, Reuters said. One employee voiced concern that a single error could leak unnecessary information to a person. In another case, an employee used Muse's calling service and the contract worker who placed the call made a racist remark. Meta Superintelligence Labs, which developed Muse, acknowledged the mistake and said Meta has suspended testing of the feature. Reuters noted that the case shows how technology companies promote autonomous AI agents while relying on human labor to deliver the actual service.
Despite the controversy, Muse's rise in the niche market of everyday services shook the U.S. stock market. Less than two weeks after its launch, Muse ranked No. 1 in free app downloads on both Apple's U.S. App Store and Google Play, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% that day to a record high for a second straight session. The Nasdaq 100, dominated by big tech, gained as much as 0.8%.
The S&P 500 financials index, by contrast, fell 2% the same day as concerns spread that AI could reshape how consumers pay and manage their money, disrupting the industry. Booking Holdings, which operates travel sites, and insurer Allstate closed down 2.5% and 5.50%, respectively, The Wall Street Journal reported.
