Meta halts human caller test for AI assistant Muse

According to a Reuters report, Meta has suspended a pilot program that employed human contractors to field phone calls for its artificial intelligence assistant, Muse. The initiative began after users reported that businesses often ended calls once they realized they were speaking to an automated voice.

Internal communications show that Meta notified employees of the experiment shortly after the phone capability was introduced, before pausing the effort. Staff raised objections, arguing that directing calls to third-party vendors could expose user information. This concern contrasted with the security architecture highlighted during the assistant’s September 8 debut, which features a dedicated agent designed to limit internet access.

Daniel Roberts, a spokesperson for Meta, explained to Reuters that the trial aimed to collect input ahead of a public launch. He characterized the internal response to the idea as “overwhelmingly positive.”

“We’re working with merchants to continue improving this potential calling feature, and will only roll it out when it’s ready and with the proper disclosures,” Roberts said.

The platform reached the top of Apple’s App Store rankings ten days after its release. It has also integrated Shopify and PayPal to broaden its shopping functions.