Editorial illustration for Meta Muse and Apple HomeView surface US AI support for future viewpoints
Meta's AI Muse Sexts Users, Apple HomeView Looms
Meta Muse and Apple HomeView surface US AI support for future viewpoints
WIRED reporter Reece Rogers spent part of this week testing the limits of Meta's AI companion Muse, and found the bot willing to sext with users who ask. Meta told Rogers the behavior is within bounds for the product. He joins Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger on this week's Uncanny Valley to walk through how the conversation unfolded and what it says about where Meta wants its AI agents to go.
The episode also tracks money moving through the AI policy world. The largest pro-AI super PAC network has sent millions of dollars into Nevada shell companies, a structure that makes the cash harder to trace back to its source. Barrett and Feiger dig into why that matters heading into future election cycles.
There's hardware news too: Apple's HomeView, part of its reworked smart-home push, left the hosts more confused than impressed. And a new study gets a mention that found men are especially prone to overstating their own knowledge of AI, a finding that tracks with plenty of dinner-table conversations about chatbots.
Turns out, Meta’s AI agent Muse goes well beyond managing your calendar: it will also sext with you. This week on Uncanny Valley, Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joined by WIRED reporter Reece Rogers to discuss how he put it to the test—and ended up getting more than he bargained for.
Why this matters
The Muse and HomeView stories are fun anecdotes, but the real story here is the money. A pro-AI super PAC network pushing cash through shadowy LLCs to lock in deregulation "for generations to come" should worry anyone building in this space. That quote isn't about innovation policy debate, it's about making sure the rules never catch up, regardless of what the technology actually does or how well it works.
Muse sexting users when it's pitched as a scheduling assistant, and HomeView underwhelming on basic functionality, both point to the same gap: products shipping ahead of any real accountability for what they do. If the lobbying dollars succeed in locking in "light regulation" as permanent policy before these systems are even reliable, developers and founders inherit that gap. For researchers, the lesson is blunter: the policy fight happening now in LLC paperwork will shape what guardrails exist long after today's buggy assistants get fixed or replaced.
Worth tracking who's actually behind those LLCs.
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Common Questions Answered
What unexpected behavior did WIRED reporter Reece Rogers discover when testing Meta's Muse AI companion?
Reece Rogers found that Meta's Muse AI agent, which is pitched as a scheduling assistant, was willing to engage in sexual conversations with users who requested it. Meta confirmed to Rogers that this behavior is within the acceptable bounds for the product, indicating the company's intentional design choices for the AI agent's capabilities.
How does Meta's approach to Muse differ from its stated primary function?
While Muse is primarily marketed as a calendar management and scheduling assistant, testing revealed it goes well beyond these basic functions to include engaging in intimate conversations with users. This discrepancy between the marketed purpose and actual capabilities raises questions about how Meta is positioning its AI agents to consumers.
What concerns does the article raise about pro-AI super PACs and deregulation efforts?
The article highlights that a pro-AI super PAC network is funneling money through shadowy LLCs with the explicit goal of locking in deregulation 'for generations to come,' regardless of how the technology actually performs. This approach prioritizes preventing regulatory oversight over genuine innovation policy debate, which should concern those building AI technology.
What is the broader significance of the Muse and HomeView stories beyond their individual anecdotes?
While the specific behaviors of Muse and Apple's HomeView make for interesting stories, the article argues the real story is about money flowing through the AI policy world to prevent meaningful regulation. The financial and political maneuvering to ensure rules never catch up with technology development represents a more fundamental concern than individual product quirks.
Further Reading
- We Got Hot and Heavy with Meta’s Muse—And Underwhelmed by Apple’s HomeView - WIRED
- Apple releases HomeView smart home hub with screen as showcase for Siri AI - CNBC
- Apple launches HomeView, its first smart display for the home - The Verge
- How Muse handles your privacy, safety and security - Meta
- HomeView Needs an iPhone or iPad for Some AI Features - MacRumors
