OpenAI and Meta launch competing AI agents amid privacy promises

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 01:13 · Archive

OpenAI and Meta have released AI agents that work autonomously, with both companies promising to prioritise user privacy.

OpenAI has unveiled Dots, an AI agent designed to manage ongoing research, work across connected applications and perform recurring tasks. Meta released a competing agent called Muse in September, with OpenAI's Dots following three weeks later. Both systems can continue working autonomously after users stop interacting with them, operate their own cloud computers and connect to outside services.

Muse can shop, complete forms, make travel plans, send emails and monitor prices. It runs on a dedicated Secure VM and can be accessed via Muse's apps, the web or WhatsApp, and linked to services like email and calendars. Dots lives within ChatGPT, is powered by GPT-6 Astra and can work on scheduled or recurring tasks. Users can grant Dots access to their local computer to retrieve files or browse the internet, and OpenAI plans to enable users to manage multiple Dots simultaneously.

Both companies have made privacy central to their pitches. Sam Altman told OpenAI DevDay attendees the company wants to set a new standard for privacy, criticising competitors for failing to protect user data. Mark Zuckerberg similarly promised that Muse was built with privacy and security in mind. However, both agents still require user supervision and depend on companies hoarding customer data while cyberattacks remain common.

How it is being reported

• OpenAI Dot vs. Meta Muse: How do these AI agents compare?Meta and OpenAI's new AI agents are in direct competition. Here's what each can do, what they cost and who has access.Engadget · 12 Oct, 01:00
• AI agent makers are promising privacy — will they deliver?At this year's OpenAI DevDay, CEO Sam Altman unveiled the company's new AI agent Dots - and told the crowd that the company wants to "set a new standard for privacy in frontier AI." OpenAI would spend the day taking veiled shots at Meta's Muse, its primary competitor, for failing to keep users' data safe. […]The Verge · 10 Oct, 14:00

In this story: OpenAI · Meta · Sam Altman · Mark Zuckerberg

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