Meta’s Muse Could Upend All Kinds of Businesses. It Hasn’t Yet

If you're a shopper, your ability to compare prices and find deals will soon be automated, potentially eroding brand loyalty.

Meta's AI shopping assistant, Muse, has seen significant user activation with over 10 million users in the US and Canada, and shopping as its most popular use case. However, early data from approximately 50 companies across various sectors, including food delivery, telecommunications, hospitality, and e-commerce, indicates a minimal impact on their businesses so far. Companies like DoorDash, T-Mobile, and Hilton reported negligible order volumes or insignificant bookings originating from AI agents. Even Meta's CEO acknowledged that current hype around agents might be "delusional." Despite the slow uptake, some businesses like Chipotle are proactively optimizing their websites to better support AI agent interactions, recognizing their potential to streamline the customer journey. Meta plans to introduce transaction fees for businesses using Muse, anticipating this revenue to eventually surpass its advertising business.

Despite Meta's significant user activation for its Muse AI shopping assistant, widespread disruption to businesses has not yet materialized. Executives from numerous companies across sectors like food delivery, travel, and retail reported extremely low, often "insignificant" or "close to zero," transaction volumes stemming from AI agents. This suggests that while AI agent technology is gaining traction in terms of user adoption, its practical integration into the consumer purchasing funnel and its impact on business operations are still in nascent stages, contrary to market anxieties.

The current low adoption rates of AI agents for commerce, coupled with companies proactively optimizing their digital platforms for these tools, signal an early but significant shift in customer interaction strategies. While Meta plans to monetize Muse through transaction fees, businesses are hedging their bets, focusing on improving website compatibility for agents while still emphasizing traditional value drivers like product quality and customer service. The evolving landscape, exemplified by Amazon's initial blocking of Muse followed by an acknowledgment of working with outside agents, indicates a dynamic period of adaptation and potential future integration of AI agents into the e-commerce ecosystem.