Meta’s Muse AI agent is limited to users aged 18 and older, but its soft, toy-like mascot has prompted questions about whether the product will attract children anyway. The character, Jolly, can be dressed like a doll, while a Tamagotchi-style Muse Charm is planned for later this year.
Meta says it asks for dates of birth, blocks people it detects may be minors and performs additional age checks. The company describes the mascot as a way to make an assistant feel more delightful and personal than a corporate logo. Youth advocates counter that rounded, cuddly characters are especially appealing to young children and want families and regulators to examine the design closely.
The presentation also matters for adults. Researchers interviewed by WIRED argued that a cute interface can make an agent feel less threatening, potentially distracting users from how much access it has. Meta trains models on Muse interactions unless a user opts out, though it plans a confidential virtual-machine option intended to prevent the company from accessing user data. Until that arrives, the contrast between a friendly character and a powerful, data-collecting agent remains a practical design and privacy concern.