Meta’s Muse is for adults, but its mascot looks like a children’s toy
Meta’s Muse AI agent is restricted to people 18 and over and represented by Jolly, a cuddly mascot that can be customized like a doll. Meta plans to sell a Tamagotchi-style device for the character later this year. The company told Wired that the design is intended to give the product personality and make it fun; it also says it requires users’ dates of birth, blocks accounts that may belong to minors and conducts additional age checks.
Youth advocates told Wired the design may appeal to children, while marketing experts said cute elements can make the technology seem less threatening. Jathan Sadowski of Monash University warned that this kind of design could make users lower their guard and ask fewer questions about the product’s practices. Meta trains its models on Muse interactions unless users opt out.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The case puts Muse’s age restriction in tension with a design that youth advocates say may appeal to children; Jathan Sadowski also warned that it could make users pay less attention to the product’s practices. Because Meta trains models on Muse interactions unless users opt out, the playful experience also involves a privacy choice.
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