Meta's Muse AI Adds Real-Time Voice Chat and Avatar Video Calls

In brief: Meta has launched real-time voice conversations with its Muse AI agent, and US users can also video chat with an animated avatar of the agent.

Key points

• CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Muse's real-time voice conversation feature on November 5.
• According to TechCrunch, Muse can now take calls as a customizable animated avatar, and US users are the stated audience.
• The Verge's writer received the feature, tried it in the iOS app, and reported that an avatar appears at the top of the screen during a chat.
• TechCrunch noted the update arrives ahead of a Tamagotchi-like wearable designed to bring Muse to life.

What happened

The Verge reported that Meta now lets people hold voice conversations with their Muse AI agent in real time, with Zuckerberg making the announcement. The reporter said the feature had already been rolled out to their account, so they tested it on the iOS app while writing the article. They also noted that an avatar is displayed at the top of the screen as you talk with the agent. The outlet's headline frames the news as Muse gaining a voice mode.

TechCrunch described the same update from the video-call side. It said US users can now video chat with their Muse avatar, and that Meta's AI agent can take calls as a customizable animated avatar. It also placed the launch in a wider product context, saying it comes ahead of a Tamagotchi-like wearable built to bring Muse to life.

The two reports cover overlapping features from different angles. The Verge emphasizes real-time voice and the in-app experience; TechCrunch emphasizes avatar video calls for US users and the upcoming hardware. Only TechCrunch specifies the US as the availability region. The Verge's summary does not state any geographic limit, so the two should not be read as contradicting each other.

Why it matters

The update suggests Muse is moving beyond a text-first assistant toward something with a voice and a face. By opening both voice conversations and avatar video calls, Meta appears to be pushing the idea of talking to an AI agent much as you would talk to a person on a call.

The wearable mentioned by TechCrunch is also worth watching. If software features arrive first and a dedicated device follows, the avatar experience could extend beyond the app. Details such as the device's specifications and release date have not been confirmed in these reports. Neither source says when the features will reach users outside the US, so availability elsewhere, including South Korea, remains to be announced.

Further reading

• Meta says US users can now video chat with their Muse AI avatar — TechCrunch
• Muse has a voice mode now — The Verge