Meta briefly tested having human contractors handle some calls for the phone-calling feature of its Muse personal AI assistant, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing internal company posts and a Meta spokesperson. The test began after Muse users reported that businesses it called often hung up once they realized the caller was AI — an adoption problem no model upgrade can fix.

Internal posts showed Meta told employees about the test last week, shortly after adding the phone-calling feature, but the test has since ended for now. Some employees warned it could leak users' sensitive information to contractors and undercut the security measures Meta promoted at Muse's launch, including the Sentinel-approval architecture and the WhatsApp-style encryption pitch.

Asked about the posts, Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts said the test was run to gather feedback before releasing features publicly, that employee response was “overwhelmingly positive,” and that the calling feature will only roll out when ready and with proper disclosures. No timetable given.