In the long arc of technology's reach into daily life, Meta has taken a notable step by introducing Muse, an AI agent woven into WhatsApp and Instagram that can send emails, process payments, and move between applications on a user's behalf. The announcement, made in September 2026, reflects a broader industry conviction that conversational agents capable of real-world action will become the new infrastructure of digital existence. Yet the ambition arrives shadowed by Meta's well-documented history with privacy and data controversies, raising enduring questions about who truly benefits when a