Meta says US users can now video chat with their Muse AI avatar

Meta is turning Muse from a chat agent into a character you can see and talk to live. Muse Voice, first shown at Connect in September, is now available to all U.S. users on mobile, web, and Mac, with AI Glasses and the upcoming Muse Charm hardware next.

The stack is Muse Realtime Avatar and Muse Realtime Voice. The default cute avatar, Jolly, can be swapped for something more human, animal, or otherwise custom. As it speaks, Meta says it uses subtle expressions and gestures matched to tone. It hears you; it does not see you.

Anthropomorphism is the product strategy — make the agent feel like a companion before the Tamagotchi-like wearable ships.

We're not surprised Meta is doubling down on the mascot. Voice alone was table stakes once every assistant shipped it. A expressive avatar you can video call is Meta playing to social and entertainment strengths — and to the Charm hardware roadmap where that face needs a screen.

Alexandr Wang's demo dog joking about meme disclaimers is the tone Meta wants: light, sticky, shareable. The company thinks live conversation deepens attachment. That may be true. It is also how you blur assistant and friend in ways that get messy for kids, lonely adults, and anyone who forgets the thing still works for Meta's engagement and commerce goals. Muse already made shopping a top activity. A charming face on the other end of a purchase nudge is not neutral UX.

I like the craft — realtime avatar and voice models that keep gesture in sync are hard. I want the usefulness: tasks finished, not just vibes. The downside if attachment outruns utility and safety: users over-trust a puppet that cannot see them, hardware that gamifies check-ins, and a company with a trust deficit asking people to look their agent in the eyes. Ship the Charm carefully.

Muse crossed 10 million users with shopping among top uses. Meta has faced privacy and sharing controversies around Muse chats. The wearable is due before year-end, putting pressure on Voice to feel natural before a physical product arrives.