
Meta has enabled its consumer AI agent, Muse, to place voice calls to US businesses for paid subscribers, expanding its capabilities beyond text interaction. The feature, initially tested in September, allows users to delegate tasks like booking reservations or contacting cable companies, aiming to alleviate common customer service frustrations. Meta reports Muse has surpassed 10 million users, with subscription plans starting at $20 per month. While competitors like Google’s Gemini and startup Instinct offer similar functionality, Meta’s push highlights the growing maturity of AI agents in handling real-world voice interactions despite ongoing challenges with business receptionists.
Read originalTopicMeta Muse AI App
Earlier coverage that leads up to this article, and what followed. Lines connect each piece to the closest one after it, converging here.
The Verge AI · September 8, 2026 · Same story
WIRED AI · September 8, 2026 · Same story
The AI Daily Brief · September 10, 2026 · Same story
Matt Wolfe · September 11, 2026 · Same story
Matt Wolfe · September 15, 2026 · Same story
TechCrunch AI · September 17, 2026 · Same story
The Verge AI · September 23, 2026 · Same story
TechCrunch AI · September 27, 2026 · Same story
Meta Muse launches custom 'spaces' for AI workflows
4 developments
© TechCrunch AINebius is facing the harsh reality of scaling AI infrastructure: even with $40 billion in planned spending and massive prepayments from Microsoft and Meta, physical construction delays are derailing timelines. A key New Jersey site is months behind schedule due to regulatory fines and generator issues, forcing a shift in delivery dates to 2027. This isn't just a logistical hiccup; it signals that the 'neocloud' model of financing builds with customer cash is fragile when third-party operators fail. The market reacted swiftly, dropping shares by 17% after Nebius cut its 2026 revenue forecast, proving that hype cannot override concrete capacity.
© TechCrunch AIGoogle is quietly shifting its search infrastructure by replacing older fast models with Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a tier designed specifically for speed and cost-efficiency rather than raw reasoning power. This model completes tasks 2.5 times faster than its predecessor while beating the more powerful Argon on specific intelligence benchmarks, proving that specialized efficiency can outperform brute force in high-volume workflows. By integrating this into Search's fan-out technique, Google now breaks down complex queries into subqueries with greater precision and speed, delivering richer visual responses without the latency of heavier models. This marks a strategic pivot toward agentic execution layers within consumer search, making AI Mode feel snappier for everyday multi-part questions.
© TechCrunch AINectar’s Creator Agent automates the messy middle of influencer marketing by scanning 300 million profiles to find and vet creators. It goes beyond keyword matching, analyzing video content for brand safety and context rather than relying solely on keywords. The tool drafts personalized messages in a brand's voice, manages contracts, and tracks campaign performance on Instagram and TikTok. This marks a shift toward agentic workflows in marketing ops, though it competes with established players like Aspire. By handling logistics from contracts to gifting, it aims to replace manual spreadsheet management with autonomous relationship building. The system adapts tone for different social environments, ensuring brands sound appropriate whether posting on X or commenting on TikTok. This approach reduces the friction of scaling creator partnerships without losing human nuance.
© MIT News AIRobust AI is betting that the future of warehouse automation isn't replacing humans, but physically collaborating with them. Their new mobile robot, Carter, uses holonomic wheels and force-sensitive handles to let workers push, pull, and guide it like a utility cart, effectively turning heavy lifting into a shared task. This approach sidesteps the failure mode of rigid industrial robots that block narrow aisles or stop dead when humans rush past. By targeting the vast majority of factories that lack expensive conveyor systems, they are offering a phased automation path for logistics environments where human agility still matters.
© The Verge AIOpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a storefront by letting brands deploy verified AI agents that handle comparison shopping and product inquiries. This moves the platform beyond passive information retrieval into active commercial transactions, with businesses controlling their agent's instructions via a new Business Hub. The feature separates these branded interactions from standard chats to maintain transparency, marking a significant shift toward AI-mediated commerce. It effectively positions ChatGPT as a discovery engine where brand identity and customer service converge directly within the chat interface.
© The Verge AIeBay has effectively shut the door on autonomous shopping by blocking third-party AI agents like Meta’s Muse from browsing its marketplace. This move underscores a growing friction between Silicon Valley’s agent ambitions and retailer defenses against unauthorized scraping and bot-driven commerce. While eBay claims to be evaluating selective partnerships, the immediate result is that agents can no longer reliably pull listings or prices directly from the site. This reinforces a pattern where major retailers like Amazon and Target are erecting walls, suggesting that agentic e-commerce remains more theoretical than practical for now.