Meta launches Muse Voice video chat with AI avatar for US users
Meta announced on Thursday that Muse Voice is now available to everyone in the U.S. The feature lets users call and video chat with Muse, Meta's consumer AI agent. It was first introduced at Meta's Connect developer conference in September.
The video chat runs on new AI models, Muse Realtime Avatar and Muse Realtime Voice technology, which help power the digital avatar that talks with the user. Other AI competitors offer voice chat, but Muse adds a cute, animated avatar nicknamed Jolly. Users interact with it as they ask questions or request tasks to be handled for them. They can also customize the avatar, changing it to look more like a person, an animal or some other character.
Meta believes that anthropomorphizing Muse this way could make consumers feel more connected to their AI agent, a connection that could grow stronger once they hold live conversations with it. As the avatar speaks, Meta says it will use "subtle expressions and gestures" that match the tone of the conversation. TechCrunch notes that Muse does not actually "see" the user; it hears them and reacts based on the conversation.
Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, announced the rollout in a blog post and on X, and shared a demo of his own Muse. In the video, Wang jokes about his love of posting memes on X, which he told his Muse may have gotten him in trouble with his boss. His Muse, a fluffy white dog, suggests adding disclaimers to memes that could be misread as Meta endorsing anything risqué.
The launch comes shortly before Meta's plan to release a Tamagotchi-like wearable device for Muse before year-end. When it arrives, the digital avatar will appear on its small screen, letting users talk to the agent, which can reply or carry out tasks for them. Meta says real-time conversations are supported on mobile, web and Mac, and will later come to its AI Glasses and the upcoming "Muse Charm" hardware device.
Key facts
- Muse Voice, a feature for calling and video chatting with Meta's consumer AI agent Muse, is now available to everyone in the U.S., Meta announced on Thursday.
- The feature runs on new models, Muse Realtime Avatar and Muse Realtime Voice technology, and shows an animated avatar nicknamed Jolly that users can restyle as a person, animal or other character.
- Real-time conversations work on mobile, web and Mac, and will later come to Meta's AI Glasses and the upcoming Muse Charm hardware device.
- Meta plans to launch a Tamagotchi-like wearable for Muse before year-end, with the avatar shown on its small screen.
- Muse does not actually see the user; it hears them and reacts to the conversation, with the avatar using "subtle expressions and gestures" to match the tone.
Why it matters
Meta is putting a face on its consumer AI agent. TechCrunch notes that other AI competitors offer voice chat, but Muse adds an animated, customizable avatar. Meta's bet, as the article describes it, is that anthropomorphizing Muse could make people feel more connected to the agent, and live conversations could deepen that. The rollout also lines up with Meta's plan for a Tamagotchi-like wearable before year-end, where the same avatar would appear on a small screen.
Who it affects
Everyone in the U.S. can now use Muse Voice, according to Meta. People outside the U.S. are not covered by the announcement. Users who want an AI agent they can talk to and ask for tasks are the audience, and those with Meta's AI Glasses or the upcoming Muse Charm device are next in line, since real-time conversations are due to come to them later.
How to use it
Users call or video chat with Muse and interact with the avatar as they ask questions or request tasks. They can customize it into something that looks more like a person, an animal or another character. Real-time conversations are supported on mobile, web and Mac. Support for AI Glasses and Muse Charm is expected later. The source gives no pricing, subscription requirement or usage limits.
How solid is it
The facts come from Meta's own announcement, made through a blog post and on X by chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, as reported by TechCrunch. The availability claim is Meta's. The demo shown is a personal, light-hearted clip from Wang. The source gives no model sizes, latency or benchmark figures for Muse Realtime Avatar and Muse Realtime Voice, and no user numbers or reactions.
Risks and caveats
The avatar's expressiveness is not vision: Muse does not actually see the user, only hears them and reacts based on the conversation. The claim that a cuter avatar will make people feel more connected is Meta's belief, not a demonstrated result. The timing of the later arrival on AI Glasses and Muse Charm is not given, and the source does not say whether Muse Charm is the same device as the Tamagotchi-like wearable. Availability beyond the U.S. is not addressed.
“subtle expressions and gestures”
— Meta, as quoted by TechCrunch, on how the Muse avatar will match the tone of the conversation