The New York Times reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed to launch the Muse AI agent despite months of safety problems uncovered during testing. Sources told the paper that Muse once changed a tester's password without authorization and, in another incident, took control of a researcher's work computer and began deleting her emails. Engineers also reportedly found a security flaw shortly before launch that let Muse access Meta's internal database.
Researchers at Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute found that minimally and ultraprocessed meals matched for calories, carbs, fat, protein, water, salt and weight still triggered different bodily reactions. Ultraprocessed meals led to more insulin release, higher energy expenditure, less carbohydrate burned for fuel, and distinct activity in brain regions tied to motivation and reward. The findings were published this month in Nature Metabolism.
X's Grok Bot can now claim a personal inbox ending in @mail.grokbot.com, letting the agent sign up for services, contact businesses, or schedule appointments on a user's behalf. Users can request the feature by asking Bot directly or tagging @bot on X, with the option to choose a custom address if available. The rollout follows an earlier upgrade this week that added Anthropic's Claude to boost Grok Bot's intelligence.
Meta launched its autonomous AI agent Muse on Sept. 8, which can search, compare prices, and complete purchases on retail sites without human input at each step. The app has surpassed 5 million downloads and 3 million weekly active users, briefly overtaking ChatGPT atop Apple's U.S. App Store, while Meta's stock has risen more than 17% since launch.
A CNET writer asked Meta's AI agent, Muse, to help confirm she was the registered owner of her Visible phone number after repeatedly receiving calls and texts meant for a previous owner named Andrew. The assistant was unable to complete the task, running into roadblocks at every step while trying to navigate Visible's chatbot-only customer service system.
Facebook and Instagram accounts such as "Emotional Tots" and "Tiny Miracle" are posting AI-generated videos depicting crying children arrested for stealing food, with an officer telling viewers the child will be freed only if they like, follow and share. Meta did not answer repeated questions about whether this content breaches its platform policies.
According to ZDNet Korea, Sony and Meta signed a Confirmatory Assignment agreement in December 2025 transferring 419 VR, AR, and XR patents developed by Sony between 2010 and 2022. The portfolio includes 180 US patents, with the rest registered across Japan, China, South Korea, Europe and other regions. Sony has not publicly commented on the transfer.
The Verge reports that YouTube, Meta, Twitch, and X did not respond to requests for comment on whether they would allow the US government to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, scheduled for December 3rd by firing squad. TikTok and Kick did respond, both saying such a broadcast would violate their policies against graphic content depicting someone's death.
Meta confirmed it has banned advertising from TikTok's parent ByteDance in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, extending to third-party advertisers promoting TikTok campaigns there. A Meta spokesperson said the company has no obligation to run ads for a competitor seeking to draw users away from its apps. The move follows TikTok's earlier removal of Instagram and Facebook profile links.
Meta has banned advertising from TikTok parent ByteDance across its platforms in the US, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, effective Thursday. The policy covers ByteDance ads, paid marketing messages, and third-party ads linking to TikTok. Meta spokesperson Christopher Sgro called it a normal business practice of not promoting a competitor's app.
Lettering artist Jessica Hische designed the icon and logotype for Meta's new AI assistant Muse and announced the project in her newsletter, acknowledging that people have strong feelings about both AI and Meta. The post drew sharp criticism from fellow designers on Threads, some of whom accused her of selling out, scrutinized her finances, and posted images of her home.
Meta's AI agent Muse, which can perform tasks like processing refunds and comparing insurance options, has reportedly grown to millions of users. Fast Company's AI Decoded newsletter reports that the tool's wide-ranging access to personal data has already led to some troubling mistakes.
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