Mascot of Meta's AI agent Muse for adults sparks criticism over resemblance to children's characters
Meta has released the AI agent Muse for adults 18+, featuring the mascot Jolly, whose cute design critics (Fairplay) compare to children's characters. Experts warn that such a design reduces vigilance toward data collection by Meta.
Companies developing AI agents with anthropomorphic design face the risk of regulatory scrutiny and criticism if the mascot's appearance could appeal to children even for products intended exclusively for adults – this increases legal and reputational risk similar to what Meta is already dealing with in connection with the settlement over social media addiction worth up to $16.7 billion.