Meta Platforms aims to monetize its AI agent Muse by taking transaction fees from merchants rather than relying on advertising revenue. The company said Muse will remain free for users for a large number of tokens, with the specific fee size and mechanics still undisclosed.
This strategy prioritizes building user trust and making Muse consistently useful. MoffettNathanson analysts, however, suggest Muse could eventually become another advertising platform despite Meta's current stated focus.
The competitive response is already visible. Amazon blocked Muse, while other companies are accelerating their own AI integrations. The battle lines are forming between broad general-purpose agents like Muse and vertical-specific solutions built by individual platforms.
DoorDash unveiled an AI agent that takes orders directly within Apple's iMessage, now live with 20,000 U.S. iOS users. The agent matches a user's phone number to their DoorDash profile, accesses order history and preferences, and completes checkout using stored payment methods without leaving the message thread.
DoorDash CMO Tim Castree noted that half the platform's customers arrive without a specific order in mind—the inverse framing that suggests the other half could use an agent to order without opening the app.
Early data from DoorDash's in-app chatbot Ask DoorDash showed grocery orders placed through the bot had nearly 50 percent higher basket values than traditional orders from the same consumers between August and early September 2026. DoorDash has not released comparable figures for the iMessage pilot.
But the picture turns murkier beyond that headline number. A Citizens analyst note summarizing Castree's remarks found mixed results: customers who clicked through from AI chatbots converted at higher rates and filled larger baskets than standard traffic, yet orders originating directly from early agent traffic showed baskets two-thirds smaller.
One bright spot: from June through August 2026, nearly half of the chatbot's restaurant orders went to establishments customers had never tried before. The implication is that AI agents could drive discovery and expand the menu of options customers consider.
DoorDash co-founder Andy Fang said the company is in talks with Meta about an official link with Muse, despite DoorDash not yet having a direct connector. The dual play—developing proprietary agents while exploring integration with broader platforms—gains additional weight from the fact that DoorDash CEO Tony Xu sits on Meta's board.
