Meta has made its Muse AI avatar more interactive. As of today, all U.S. users can engage in voice and video calls with Muse, its consumer-facing AI assistant. This update introduces two new AI models—Muse Realtime Avatar and Muse Realtime Voice—that enable live, animated conversations. Previously unveiled at Meta’s Connect conference in September, these features let Muse respond visually and audibly.
Users can customize their Muse avatar, selecting from human-like figures, animals, or other imaginative characters. The avatar—nicknamed Jolly by some—is designed to make interactions more personable. While users talk, Muse won’t just speak—it will display gestures and facial expressions that align with the mood and cadence of the conversation.
What Platforms Support These Features?
The live conversation tools are accessible via mobile devices, web browsers, and Macs. Meta also plans to extend functionality to its AI Glasses and a new wearable device called the “Muse Charm.” By year’s end, the Muse AI avatar is expected to show up on this small screen wearable, enabling conversations wherever the user is.
Early Demos Offer a Glimpse
The move comes with public previews of Muse’s capabilities. In one demonstration posted by Meta’s chief AI officer, Muse responded to a user referring to memes posted online, including offering advice about disclaimers when posts might be misinterpreted—all while using the avatar of a fluffy white dog.
This announcement is just ahead of Meta’s launch of a pet-like wearable that displays Muse. When the device is released, users will be able to talk to Muse via the screen on their wrist or wherever the wearable is placed.
The reveal also underscores Meta’s strategy to “anthropomorphize” Muse—giving it human-like or character-driven traits—to strengthen emotional connection with users.
Even as voice features are increasingly common among AI assistants, Meta is leaning into visual identity and emotional cues. By fusing real-time voice, animation, and avatar-based expression, this rollout seeks to differentiate Muse—and make it feel more like a companion than just another chatbot.
What to watch: whether users embrace the visual avatar feature or find it gimmicky, and how privacy and safety concerns play out now that Muse can listen, see, and interpret in real-time. Meta’s next steps—including launching Muse on AI Glasses and the Muse Charm wearable—are set to test both user experience and hardware readiness.
