Meta sets subscription prices in Indian Rupees for Muse AI agent

Tech giant Meta has determined its subscription prices in Indian Rupees ahead of the official launch of its rapidly evolving AI agent 'Muse' in India. This move signals the company's entry into one of the world's largest digital markets. According to a report by The Hindu, these service prices have been set, which had not been previously reported.

Meta has introduced two main subscription tiers for its Muse agent. The 'Power' tier is priced at ₹1,799 and the 'Maximum' tier at ₹8,999. If the subscription is purchased through Google Play or Apple's billing systems, a slight increase in charges may be observed. These prices are similar to the rates in the US. However, it is not yet clear whether these prices are final or will be modified at the time of the official launch in India. Meta has not responded to The Hindu's queries on this matter.

Muse is an AI agent that provides users with the facility to interact with it on WhatsApp. Within just two months of its launch, it has garnered more than 10 million downloads. This agent can perform tasks ranging from resolving customer service queries to filling out online forms, planning travel, and booking flight tickets. Due to its integration with WhatsApp, it is likely to have a wide reach in India, as the messaging platform is used on a massive scale here. Currently, Muse's free service is available in countries such as the USA, Canada, Japan, and Singapore.

San Francisco-based 'Instinct' also operates via WhatsApp as a competitor to Muse, but it is available globally without any paid subscription. Currently, Indian users have been placed on a waitlist for Muse, but users can register by connecting to a supported market via VPN. Once registered, users' accounts remain active in India even if they change their internet connection. Although Muse is not available in the Indian app marketplaces, its web and WhatsApp interfaces can be used in India. If the billing territory is set as a supported market, Indian cards can be used to purchase subscriptions.

However, the functionality of this service in India is still limited. Muse cannot obtain official permission to make card payments on behalf of users, as this capability depends on integration with payment processors that are not operating in India. Last month, an executive from a major Indian payment gateway provider denied that their company is working with Muse developers to integrate such features.

The rise of AI agents has also raised new regulatory and technological questions. Officials have expressed concern that advanced models could lead to data breaches in government and corporate networks. In the case of AI agents, the primary question is whether autonomous digital agents should be treated as human users while using online services. Agents like Muse and Instinct can easily solve old bot-detection technologies like CAPTCHA, which could pose a challenge for Indian websites.

Meta is a global technology company known for its social media platforms and Metaverse products.