When Usman asked if a keyboard for sale on Facebook Marketplace was still available on Saturday, he received an enthusiastic and immediate response. The two agreed on a price, and Robb sent his Toronto address. Usman, wife and daughter in tow, showed up several hours later at Robb’s home and sent a text that he had arrived.
Robb responded, “yep I’m here!”, but he was not at home. Nobody walked out of the apartment building. Usman sent Robb a picture of the building’s door and wrote, “Hello????
I am standing outside.” After 20 minutes of no face-to-face contact, he abandoned the sale. An hour later, Robb, or who Usman thought was Robb, responded apologetically. Usman had not contacted the real Robb.
Throughout the daylong interaction, the human version of Robb never knew Usman had messaged him or had agreed to buy the keyboard. He did not know Usman had received his address or that he was waiting outside his apartment building. Usman had spoken to Meta’s new AI agent, Muse, released 22 September in the US and downloaded 3m times.
The company advertises the semi-autonomous AI product as a personal assistant. Without Robb’s consent or approval, Muse had given out his home address, creating the false impression that Robb was expecting the would-be buyer at his apartment, he said. The first message Robb actually sent Usman came 24 hours later, once he realized what had happened.
Genuinely didn’t even know it had arranged for you to come to my literal apartment it didn’t ask me for approval.” Robb, a consumer tech reviewer, had seen Meta advertise Muse’s ability to automate his Marketplace listings and decided to take advantage of it. He input his address as the pickup location but said he never gave Muse permission to share it with potential buyers. Muse was also negotiating on his behalf without seeking approval, accepting lowball offers, he said.
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