Meta and OpenAI have introduced AI agents, Muse and Dot, that can continue working after a user leaves. These agents can run their own cloud computers and connect to outside services, allowing them to perform tasks such as shopping, completing forms, and managing research.
Meta launched Muse on September 8, an AI capable of tasks like shopping, form-filling, travel planning, email management, and price tracking. OpenAI introduced Dot three weeks later, designed for research management, cross-application work, and recurring tasks.
Similar Jobs, Different Experiences
Although Muse and Dot can do similar jobs, the experience is different. Muse runs on a dedicated Secure VM with its own browser, making it feel like messaging another person. It can be used via Muse’s apps, the web, or WhatsApp, and linked with services like email and calendar.
In a hands-on test, Muse turned saved Instagram and Facebook posts into organized recipe and restaurant collections. Dot, on the other hand, lives within ChatGPT and is powered by GPT-6 Astra, with each one having its own cloud computer and utilizing connected plugins.
Supervision and Permissions
Despite their capabilities, these agents still need supervision. Meta states that Muse asks for permission before taking sensitive actions like sending an email or making a purchase. OpenAI employs permissions, Custom Rules, and Auto-review to manage what Dots can do, with both companies cautioning that their agents can make mistakes.
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Muse faces restrictions, such as Amazon blocking its shopping access. Dot users can grant local computer access for file retrieval or browsing, and OpenAI plans to allow management of multiple Dots simultaneously.
Pricing and Privacy Controls
The most obvious difference between Muse and Dot is price. The free tier of Muse has a usage cap, and the Power and Maximum tiers are $20 and $100 per month, respectively. In contrast, individual users must pay a much higher subscription fee to use Dots, with the lowest available option being Pro 100 for $100 per month.
Business Premium subscriptions for Dot cost $100 per user monthly (annual billing) or $125 monthly (billed monthly). Increased account linking enhances agent capabilities but grants access to sensitive data like email, calendar, and browser sessions.
Meta states that conversations and data within its VM aren’t shared with its advertising systems, and users can choose not to have interactions used to enhance Meta’s AI models. OpenAI states that activity from personal-plan Dots may be used to improve its models, depending on the user’s ChatGPT setting, while Business and Enterprise data is not used for training by default.