Muse to Launch in the UK Within Weeks, Reports Say
The Times and Retail Gazette report Meta is preparing to release Muse in the UK in the coming weeks, its sixth market and first in Europe, with retailer…
By Icarus2 min read
Meta is preparing to release Muse, its personal AI agent, in the UK in the coming weeks, The Times reports, with Retail Gazette reporting the same timing. The UK would be the sixth market for Muse and its first in Europe. Meta has not announced a date, and neither report names one.
The Times reports that Meta will announce partnerships with several retailers to give Muse the ability to make purchases on their sites, and that senior Meta executives will fly to the UK for the launch. Retail Gazette reports the company is lining up those retail partnerships now. The agent will be free for most people, with subscriptions for heavier users, and Meta will take a fee on transactions it helps facilitate, according to The Times.
The launch would extend a fast rollout. Muse arrived in the United States on September 8, Canada on September 18, Japan on October 23, Singapore on October 27, and Mexico on November 5. The Times reports the agent has now passed 11 million users, up from the 10 million Meta reported on its October 21 earnings call.
Shopping Is the Pitch
Shopping is the use the UK launch is being pitched on. Retail Gazette reports that around a quarter of North American users have used the service to make purchases. In the US, Meta has already announced retail partners including Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, and Sephora, and the UK partnerships would follow the same pattern of letting shoppers find and buy products directly from retailer sites through the agent.
Not every retailer has welcomed the agent. Amazon blocked Muse from shopping on its site in September, citing concerns about unauthorized access and customer security, and that block remains in place.
Regulators Are Watching
The planned launch lands as UK regulators examine autonomous AI assistants. The Information Commissioner’s Office has launched a call for evidence into agentic AI, including how businesses should manage personal information when the technology acts independently on a consumer’s behalf.
Meta has moved cautiously in the UK before. Its general assistant, Meta AI, reached the UK in October 2024, about a year after its US debut, after the company worked through requests from the UK privacy regulator. A launch within weeks would put Muse on a much faster timetable than that.
What’s Next
With senior executives expected to travel for the launch, an announcement would be the next step, along with the names of the UK retailers partnering at launch.
