TNB Tech Minute: Meta Launches Personal AI Agent For Mainstream Consumers

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Julie Chang (0:16)

Here's your afternoon TNB Tech Minute for Tuesday, September 8th. I'm Julie Chang for the Wall Street Journal. Meta has announced a new personal AI agent called Muse. The chatbot will be accessible via its own dedicated app, and it's aimed at encouraging mainstream consumers to adopt AI agents for daily tasks like buying goods online and responding to emails. The tool marks Meta's latest effort to monetize its AI investments, which are projected to reach $130 billion this year. Muse is free for basic needs with power user subscriptions available at $20 and $100 per month. To address security concerns, Meta said each Muse agent will run on its own dedicated cloud computer. The company acknowledged that the agent will still make mistakes, but expects them to be less frequent and less damaging.

Four former Amazon warehouse employees have filed a class action lawsuit against the e-commerce giant, alleging unlawful punishment and eventually termination for requesting pregnancy-related accommodations. The lawsuit alleges Amazon deducted unpaid time off or flagged workers for time-off task for medically necessary breaks or absences, including pumping in a lactation room. The plaintiffs say the company violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and are seeking policy changes and compensation. An Amazon spokesperson said the allegations contain inaccuracies and omit important details, adding that the company approved over 99.9% of pregnancy accommodation requests in the past year.

And, widespread use of AI tools and social media has contributed to a sharp decline in high school reading skills across the world. That's according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Tests of 760,000 15-year-olds across 91 countries showed a significant drop in scores compared to the decade earlier, reflecting a reduced ability to evaluate information, think critically, and bring together multiple pieces of evidence. Between 2015 and 2025, average reading scores fell by 28 points from OECD members and by 16 points elsewhere. A 20-point drop is roughly equal to losing a year in schooling.

And that's your TNB Tech Minute. Check back in the morning for another Quick Tech Update.

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