Meta plans advanced ‘agentic’ AI assistant for consumers

Meta’s initiative underscores chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s push to embed AI at the centre of the company’s consumer products © AFP or licensors

Social media platform invests in equivalent to OpenClaw that aims to seamlessly carry out everyday tasks for users

Meta is building a highly personalised AI assistant to carry out everyday tasks for its billions of users, as the company faces investor scrutiny over its escalating AI spending.

The Big Tech group is building agentic tools for its more than 3bn users, according to people familiar with the matter, including an advanced digital assistant which will be powered by its new Muse Spark AI model.

One person familiar with the project said the assistant is being trialled internally by a group of staff. Another insider said the goal was to develop a product similar to OpenClaw, which allows users to create AI bots known as agents to autonomously complete tasks on their behalf.

Meta wants to allow users to share highly sensitive information, such as health and financial data, with its assistants if they so choose, one of the people familiar with the project said. However, some question whether consumers will be willing to do so.

“There’s a trust deficit as wide as the Grand Canyon,” the person added.

The initiative underscores chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s push to embed AI at the centre of Meta’s consumer products, at a time of rising investor concerns over the costs and execution of his expansive vision for “personal superintelligence”.

Zuckerberg continues to pour billions of dollars into the AI infrastructure and talent even as the company plans to cut 10 per cent of its workforce later this month.

Line chart of Share price, $ showing AI spending has weighed on Meta's share price

Last week, Meta announced it would raise its capital expenditure by $10bn to as much as $145bn this year. Wall Street’s concerns about the growing spending led to a sharp share price fall, with almost $170bn being wiped off the group’s market capitalisation last week.

Among Meta’s other AI projects, the Financial Times has reported that the company is developing photorealistic, AI-powered 3D characters that users can interact with in real time — starting with a digital clone of Zuckerberg.

The Meta chief himself is involved in training and testing his own animated AI.