Meta Muse AI is bringing a new convenience to US consumers by allowing paid subscribers to make phone calls to businesses through an AI assistant. With subscriptions starting at $20 per month, the feature can help users contact restaurants, schedule appointments, and handle routine customer service inquiries.
For readers following the latest consumer technology developments on DealInNow.com, the announcement marks a shift in what AI assistants are being asked to do. Instead of simply answering questions or drafting messages, Muse can now interact with businesses over the phone on a customer’s behalf.
The feature could be particularly useful for Americans who spend time waiting on customer service lines or contacting local businesses that don’t offer convenient online booking. But there are important limitations involving subscription costs, call reliability, and privacy.
How Does Meta Muse AI Make Phone Calls to Businesses?
Muse is Meta’s personal AI agent, designed to carry out tasks based on instructions from its users. Its latest feature allows the assistant to place outbound calls to U.S. businesses.
Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang announced the wider release on November 12, confirming that the functionality is available to paid subscribers in the United States.
The company had already been testing business calls with a limited group of users since September. The latest expansion removes that early-access restriction for eligible paying subscribers.
According to TechCrunch’s November 12 report, Muse can help with calls involving restaurants, cable companies, insurance providers, and other organizations.
The idea is straightforward: a user explains what needs to be done, and Muse handles the telephone conversation rather than requiring the user to make the call personally.
What Kind of Phone Calls Can Muse Make?
The feature focuses on everyday errands that typically require speaking with someone.
Potential uses include:
- Restaurant reservations: Contacting restaurants that don’t provide online booking.
- Appointment scheduling: Calling a business to ask about available appointment times.
- Customer service inquiries: Contacting cable providers and other service companies.
- Insurance questions: Requesting information from an insurance company’s customer service team.
- Local business inquiries: Checking availability, services, or other details that aren’t easily found online.
Wang also cited government offices such as the Department of Motor Vehicles as an example of calls people might want to delegate. That doesn’t mean Muse can complete every government transaction or bypass identification requirements.
The technology can initiate conversations, but whether a particular task succeeds depends on the business, its phone systems, and the information or authorization required.
In an Engadget report on the launch, an early user described having Muse contact a Volvo dealership and remain on hold while seeking an appointment.
For customers, the main appeal is convenience. Rather than navigating telephone menus and waiting for an available employee, they can delegate some of that process to an AI assistant.
How Much Does Meta Muse Cost?
The calling feature is currently restricted to paid Muse subscribers in the United States.
According to Meta’s official subscription information, there are two paid plans.
| Muse subscription | Monthly price | Weekly token allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited usage; business calling not included |
| Power | $20 | 500 million Muse tokens |
| Maximum | $100 | 3 billion Muse tokens |
The Power plan is the lowest-priced subscription offering access to the newly announced calling functionality.
The Maximum plan is intended for users who need substantially higher usage allowances.
Meta does not publicly specify a separate price per business call in its subscription overview. The number of calls that users can complete may also depend on applicable usage limits and feature availability.
Subscriptions renew monthly unless canceled, and Meta says that benefits may vary depending on the user’s account and location.
How to Get Muse to Call a Business
Eligible U.S. subscribers can access Muse through its application or the official Muse website.
Users must have a Meta account and an eligible paid subscription.
Once access is available, the user can give Muse a task involving a business phone call.
For example, someone might ask the assistant to contact a nearby restaurant and find out whether a table is available for dinner.
Another user could request information about a car service appointment or ask a provider about available service plans.
The assistant is designed to handle the call and gather information, reducing the need for the user to speak directly with the business.
However, Meta has not published complete details about every approval step, supported transaction, or calling limit. Users should review the information shown within their account before relying on Muse for time-sensitive arrangements.
Important reservations, appointments, or account changes should still be independently confirmed.
Why Meta Is Charging for AI Phone Calls
Muse’s outbound calling feature arrives as technology companies increasingly focus on AI agents that can perform tasks rather than merely provide information.
Making a real phone call involves more than generating a written response. An assistant must manage speech, interpret the other person’s answers, respond to unexpected questions, and remain connected during delays.
It may also encounter automated menus, hold music, or employees who are unwilling to speak with an AI system.
Meta has chosen to make the functionality available through paid subscriptions, although the company has not provided a detailed public explanation of how calling costs are calculated.
The feature could make the $20 subscription more attractive to people who regularly contact businesses or manage appointments.
Whether that represents good value will depend on how often the customer needs the service and how reliably Muse completes those tasks.
Can Businesses Refuse Calls From AI Assistants?
Yes. A business or its employees can decline to continue a call with an AI agent.
That is a practical challenge for automated calling systems.
Some receptionists and customer service representatives may be uncomfortable speaking with a synthetic voice, especially when the call involves personal information or account-related requests.
Businesses may also require direct customer verification before discussing billing details, insurance policies, or other sensitive matters.
Even if Muse can place the call successfully, it may not be able to finish every conversation.
This matters because a technically successful connection is not the same as a completed reservation, resolved complaint, or confirmed appointment.
For small businesses, AI-generated calls could become another channel for customer inquiries, but they may also create new questions about caller identification, consent, and how staff should handle automated conversations.
What About Privacy and Call Transparency?
Privacy is another issue worth considering before allowing an AI agent to handle sensitive conversations.
In September, Reuters reported that Meta had experimented with human contractors handling some calls made through Muse.
Employees raised concerns about whether personal information could be exposed to those contractors without adequate disclosure.
Meta acknowledged problems with the test and said the human-assisted capability had been rolled back while the company worked on safeguards.
That earlier experiment should not be confused with the new November release. The announcement does not establish that human contractors are routinely handling calls made through the current paid feature.
Nevertheless, it highlights questions consumers may want answered before delegating sensitive conversations.
Users should be cautious about sharing passwords, financial credentials, medical details, or other private information through automated calls unless they understand how that information will be handled.
How Does Muse Compare With Google’s AI Calling Features?
Meta is not the first company to offer AI-powered business calls.
Google has already introduced features that allow its AI systems to contact local businesses and collect information about services, product availability, and pricing.
In a Google announcement about AI-powered business calling, the company explained that eligible Search users could request information from local businesses without personally making the call.
Google’s system is connected to its search experience and supports specific categories of local inquiries.
Muse takes a broader personal-assistant approach, allowing paying users to delegate supported calling tasks through an AI agent.
The features are not identical, and their availability, supported tasks, and usage restrictions differ.
For consumers, the growing competition could mean more choices for handling routine errands without spending time on the telephone.
What This Means for U.S. Consumers and Small Businesses
For consumers, the biggest potential advantage is time saved.
Calling a business might take only a few minutes, but reaching a representative can involve long hold times, automated menus, and repeated explanations.
An AI assistant that manages straightforward inquiries could make those tasks less frustrating.
For businesses, the impact is less certain.
AI callers may help connect potential customers with businesses that don’t offer digital booking or online support. At the same time, employees may need clearer policies for responding to automated calls and protecting customer information.
The technology will also need to demonstrate reliability. Incorrect information, misunderstood instructions, and unconfirmed appointments could undermine the convenience it promises.
Is Meta Muse’s Calling Feature Worth $20 a Month?
For someone who regularly schedules appointments, contacts customer service departments, or manages business-related calls, Muse’s new capability may be worth exploring.
Occasional users may find it harder to justify paying $20 every month for a feature they rarely need.
The important question is not simply whether the AI can dial a number. It’s whether the assistant can reliably finish useful tasks without introducing new complications.
Meta’s latest release is another step toward AI agents that interact with the real world on behalf of their users.
But broader adoption will depend on more than technical capability. Consumer trust, business acceptance, privacy safeguards, and consistent results will determine whether AI phone calls become a familiar convenience or remain a specialized feature for enthusiastic early adopters.
Reliable Sources
| Source | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Meta Help Center | Official pricing, allowances and eligibility |
| TechCrunch | November 12 feature announcement |
| Engadget | Calling capabilities and early examples |
| Reuters | Earlier human-concierge testing and privacy concerns |
| Google Official Blog | Comparison with Google’s business-calling functionality |