Zuck dropped a new personal assistant this week: Muse. It can book travel, do online shopping, and manage your inbox. But in my testing, Muse lags behind Instinct. 

Here’s where Muse excels and where it falls short… 

Round #1: Booking a Flight to Japan

I’m planning to go to Japan again in January, but that flight can be pricey. Can Muse find me a deal?

I asked Muse to monitor prices from Newark to Haneda for a 3-month trip beginning in January. It did a good job of searching flight prices, finding a ticket for $2,000 on United.

I asked it to continue monitoring the route to see if prices drop. This is where Muse fell short. 

Muse only offered to check fares once a week. That’s not nearly enough to find great deals. I got Muse to check twice a day, but that still could miss some great fares.

Instinct monitors flight prices continuously. Sometimes I get notifications about lower fares that only last a few hours. That’s how you snag a deal! 

Muse is well behind Instinct on travel booking. I’m giving Muse a B on this round. 

Round #2: Find Me a Deal on a Parka

It’s still in the 80s here in North Jersey, but winter is coming soon! If it’s anything like last year, I’m going to need a heavier coat.

I had Muse look for a deal on a North Face McMurdo parka. It popped up a little window where I could watch it search one online retailer after another. I’ve never seen anyone else do this!

Muse couldn’t find any sales. But showing me the searches it ran gave me confidence this was the best price.

I’m giving Muse an A on this round. 

Round #3: Helping Me Reconnect With Great Founders

Sometimes I meet a great founder and then fall out of touch. This could lead me to miss a great deal.

So I asked Muse to look through my Gmail — who was I talking to a year ago but haven’t spoken to recently?

Muse ran slowly, but it did find some founders that I hadn’t talked to since last fall. I’m taking a closer look into some of the companies it mentioned. 

I’m giving this round an A.

Wrap-Up

I’m giving Muse an A- overall.

Muse could be useful if you’re not using any AI assistants, especially if you want an assistant in WhatsApp. 

I already have Instinct and Grok. So, I probably wouldn’t use Muse again. 

But if Zuck can improve Muse’s travel booking abilities, I’ll be down to give it another shot!

More from the blog: 

My New AI Assistant is Finding Me Cheap Flights to Japan

China’s GLM 5.2: The Most Powerful Open-Source Model Yet — But Does It Deliver in Real Life?

I Tested Mira Murati’s New Open Model. Here’s Where It Wins (and Loses)

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