Meta has launched Muse, a personal AI agent app previously known internally by the codename "Hatch", for U.S. consumers.

CNBC reported on Sept. 8 that Muse handles digital tasks such as making reservations, writing documents and checking home security cameras.

Muse runs on models in the "Muse Spark" family. Meta stressed that it designed the app to be friendly and easy to understand.

Users can choose a free plan or subscription plans of $20 a month or $100 a month depending on usage. Meta is also considering taking commissions on shopping transactions involving the AI agent, but its specific monetisation method has not yet been finalised, CNBC reported.

Meta sees personal AI agents as a new growth engine. CEO Mark Zuckerberg (마크 저커버그) said during a July earnings announcement that a new personal agent would become a revenue base. Zuckerberg has pointed to advanced digital assistants, such as those that sort emails or find furniture discount information, as the next direction for AI investment.

The launch comes as privacy and safety controversies surrounding Meta have intensified. Meta recently agreed to a major settlement to pay about $17 billion to a coalition of state attorneys general in a lawsuit related to allegations that it played down harms on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta said Muse runs in a separated environment within its own computing infrastructure, does not access actual passwords or payment information, and asks for user verification before sensitive tasks. Users can also opt out of having their interactions with Muse used to train Meta AI models. Meta said it removes key personal identifying information before using data to improve AI even when users do not opt out.

Muse app users can receive updates from linked Facebook and Instagram accounts and view articles and stories collected from the web in a single feed. It can also be used on WhatsApp, but excludes the feed and an ideas tool. Meta is offering Muse on iOS, Android and a standalone website. It also plans to support it on Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.