Meta's Muse AI Builds Detailed Dossiers on User Contacts

Meta's new AI assistant, Muse, is designed to build comprehensive profiles on every person in a user's life, as Wired first reported. Independent researcher Karan Joshi extracted the agent's internal operating instructions, which reveal that Muse performs an hourly process to create a dedicated page for family, partners, friends, colleagues, "collaborators," and people the user follows.

These profiles are intended to evolve from "sparse" entries into detailed dossiers. According to the leaked instructions, the AI tracks "Facts," "History," and "The relationship," recording specific details such as where people live, their occupations, recurring themes like shared savings goals, and significant dates including birthdays. The system also monitors the dynamics of these relationships, noting how people act with one another and what the relationship "seems to need right now."

Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts told Wired that Muse utilizes public information and data users choose to share to provide context, such as remembering a specific plumber or a spouse's flower preference. Meta further stated that Muse operates on dedicated virtual machines for each user, allowing individuals to wipe memories or disconnect services.

However, critics warn of the privacy implications. Carissa Véliz, an associate professor at Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI, told Wired that concerns exist regarding what AI can infer or piece together from disparate data sources. Miranda Bogen, director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s AI Governance Lab, noted that Muse places a heavier emphasis on personal contacts than competing systems and that these tools actively encourage users to integrate their entire digital lives, including calendars and financial institutions.