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Meta's Muse Ships an 18+ AI Agent Behind a Kids-Toy Mascot

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TL;DR

  • Meta's new personal AI agent Muse is restricted to users 18 and over, but its default mascot Jolly borrows heavily from Labubu-style collectible-toy aesthetics.
  • The character was designed by Muse product design lead Alex Cornell; chief AI officer Alexandr Wang has been posting nonstop Jolly memes on X.
  • The nonprofit Fairplay says the plush design is calibrated to attract young children even though the product is adults-only.

Meta made its new personal AI agent Muse 18-plus. Its default mascot, Jolly, looks like something you would pull off a toddler's shelf. That contradiction is the subject of Wired's report on the launch. Four people we follow on AI Weekly's Who's Who list shared the piece over the same window.

Jolly is cream-colored, with beady black eyes and an upward smile, and its aesthetic borrows plainly from Labubu: soft pink cheeks, plush ivory fur, rounded shapes. The character was designed by Muse product design lead Alex Cornell, according to a post on X by Meta's chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, who has been posting nonstop memes of Jolly, "occasionally placing the character in suggestive situations." Meta's own copy describes the avatar as having a "jolly and completely customizable character and personality."

Asked by Wired about the mismatch between the adults-only product and its plush face, Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts said "This is a story in search of a story."

Youth advocates disagree. The nonprofit Fairplay and other groups are challenging the adult-only Muse, arguing Jolly is "designed in ways that strongly attract young children." Its executive director, Josh Golin, said the mascot looks like a Teletubby. Meta trains AI models on Muse interactions unless users opt out.

Shared on Bluesky by 5 AI experts

Originally reported by wired.com

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Original headline: Meta’s Muse Is Adults-Only. Why Does It Look Like a Kids’ Toy?