Meta has launched Muse, a personal AI agent that can complete tasks and make payments through Stripe's Link, with Shop Pay and 1Password integrations planned.
According to the official press release, the agent is available in the US on iOS, Android, and via muse.ai, with support for AI glasses expected to follow. Muse can be accessed either through a dedicated app or directly within WhatsApp, and is offered free for most functions, with subscription tiers available for additional capabilities.
How the agent operates
Muse runs on what Meta calls Muse Secure VM, a dedicated virtual machine that houses both the agent and the associated user data. According to Meta, the system was built to require no technical experience, allowing users to assign tasks ranging from sending emails and booking travel to longer-term goals such as adjusting a budget or negotiating a bill. Once a goal is set, Muse develops a plan and continues working after the app is closed, returning to the user when it needs approval for actions such as sending a message or completing a purchase.
The agent is also designed to retain contextual information shared during conversations, using it to make unprompted suggestions, such as compiling a shopping list from a saved recipe or accounting for dietary restrictions when planning an event.
For transactions, Muse uses Link, the checkout product built by Stripe, and Meta states it is the first AI agent to be covered by Link's purchase protections, which include coverage for damaged or lost items, price-drop adjustments, fee-free returns, and a return guarantee on eligible purchases. Link generates a one-time-use card for each transaction so that a user's actual card details are not exposed. Meta has also indicated that Shop Pay will be added as an additional payment method, alongside support for 1Password to allow the agent to use existing stored logins.
Privacy and security architecture
Muse operates on an isolated virtual machine, with a separate system-level process called Sentinel overseeing outbound activity. In addition, actions are not permitted to reach the internet without Sentinel's approval, and users are prompted for consent where required. Meta states that Muse does not have direct access to passwords or payment credentials, which are held in separate secure storage. Users retain control over which applications and data sources Muse can access, can adjust or revoke permissions, and can opt out of having their interactions used for Meta's AI model training. Meta has also confirmed that conversations and data within a user's VM are not shared with its advertising systems.
Later in 2026, Meta plans to introduce Muse Confidential VM, an option under which the virtual machine and its associated data would be encrypted with a key held solely by the user.
Market context
The launch positions Meta alongside a growing group of technology companies developing agentic AI tools capable of executing transactions autonomously, an area in which payment providers such as Stripe have been expanding infrastructure to support agent-initiated checkout flows.
