Meta builds AI agent to handle Instagram shopping and compete with TikTok's e-commerce push

Meta's AI agent plans reportedly include an OpenClaw competitor that can shop on Instagram - Engadget

Last week during Meta's earnings, Mark Zuckerberg said that the company is working on new AI agents for people and businesses on the company's platform. Now, we know a bit more about what those plans entail, thanks to a new report from The Information. The publication reports that Meta is working on an "OpenClaw-inspired" agent currently dubbed "Hatch." It sounds like the company intends for Hatch to work within its own apps, including agentic shopping on Instagram, as well as with outside services. The company has tested Hatch on simulated versions of third-party services like DoorDash, Reddit and Outlook, according to The Information. Separately, Meta also apparently intends for Hatch to help the company compete with TikTok Shop. Instagram users would be able to use the agent to more easily buy items they see in Instagram Reels. Meta may have been laying some groundwork for this with its recent move to allow creators to tag up to 30 products in a video. The report doesn't go into exactly how the agent will work with services Meta doesn't own, but Zuckerberg is clearly very interested in AI agents as a way to bolster his "superintelligence" ambitions. The CEO name-checked OpenClaw in his remarks last week, saying that the agent platform was "exciting" but also too complicated for most people to set up. He said he wanted Meta's agents to be more accessible and to "to deliver agents that can understand your goals and then work day and night to help you achieve them." Incidentally, Meta also reportedly tried to hire the creator of OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent platform that went extremely viral in AI circles at the start of this year. He chose to join OpenAI instead. Zuckerberg did, however, hire the founders of Moltbook, a briefly viral (and probably overhyped) forum for AI agents. It will likely be some time before we see any of Meta's planned agentic capabilities. The company is looking to launch the new tools closer to the end of the year, according to the report. Meta is also reportedly testing the agents with Anthropic models, rather than its own, though the plan is for them to eventually run on the company's new Muse Spark model. Meta's ambitions in the space may also encompass its smart glasses lineup. Though the report didn't mention agents in the context of the Meta-branded eyewear, an exec recently hinted at the possibility. Speaking during a follow-up call with analysts last week, CFO Susan Li said that the Ray-Ban Meta glasses "provide what we believe is the best form factor for agentic interactions," though she acknowledged it was "very early" for such capabilities.

Instagram may soon get an AI personal shopper that actually buys things for you

Meta is reportedly testing Hatch on simulated versions of apps like DoorDash, Reddit, and Outlook, hinting at broader app support beyond Meta's ecosystem. Meta may be starting to take AI more seriously, moving beyond simple chatbots. The company reportedly wants its assistant to help users with real tasks, and Instagram might be where it tries out these new features. A report from The Information says Meta is working on a new AI agent for consumers, called "Hatch." The main idea is to make Meta's apps more active, letting AI handle tasks for users instead of just showing content. This approach seems to be part of a bigger trend in tech called agentic AI. Unlike regular chatbots that just answer questions, these systems can take actions, use apps, finish tasks, and make decisions with little help from people. Earlier this year, OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent, became popular by showing that AI could use software much like a person. It could book flights, order food, and shop online for you. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg described it as exciting but said it was too hard for most people to use. The company now wants to make this easier. Hatch is reportedly being tested on simulated versions of DoorDash, Reddit, and Outlook, so it's meant to work with apps outside of Meta, not just its own. Right now, Hatch uses Anthropic's AI models, while Meta works on its own system called Muse Spark in the background. Instagram could play a big role in Meta's plans. The report says Meta is working on an AI shopping tool that lets users tap on products they see in Reels or posts, and then have the AI help with the buying process. Meta has spent years trying to make Instagram a better shopping platform to compete with TikTok Shop and other social shopping apps, and AI agents could help by making mobile shopping less frustrating.

Meta wants an AI agent to go Instagram shopping for you and pull the whole agent stunt

Meta's next move with AI is moving beyond chatbots and stepping into a shopping assistant. According to an Engadget report, citing The Information, the company is developing a more advanced "agentic" AI assistant that can perform tasks on behalf of users instead of simply answering prompts. This would include a specialized AI shopping agent for Instagram. What's Meta cooking up? The new AI tool is reportedly built around a new model called Muse Spark, and Meta is said to be testing it internally. The company is also working on another project, codenamed Hatch, with testing expected to wrap up by June. If you've been following the AI agent race, these tools are being built to handle more than just summarizing a webpage or generating text. Now, they seek to navigate apps, interact with services, and handle multi-step tasks for the user. Recommended Videos Engadget referred to this as an OpenClaw-style competitor, which makes sense given how aggressively the company has been chasing agentic AI. For those unaware, OpenClaw quickly became a popular name in this category, since it is designed to work across different software and hardware platforms. Hatch is reportedly being tested on services like DoorDash, Reddit, and other third-party platforms. Though Instagram is probably the easiest place for Meta to test this in public. The app already blends creators, product discovery, ads, recommendations, and shopping behavior. So, an AI agent that can search for products, compare options, and help users make purchases fits right in. But there are some obvious concerns. Meta has spent years turning attention into ads, recommendations, and commerce. Giving the same company an AI agent does add a new layer of convenience, and some more discomfort. The Manus mess still looms Meta recently tried to accelerate its agent plans by acquiring Manus, an AI agent startup originally rooted in China and later based in Singapore. The deal was reportedly worth around $2 billion, but Chinese regulators blocked it in late April. So the new AI agent push from Meta comes immediately after the Manus deal collapsed. With the higher spending on AI infrastructure, it's evident that the company wants a serious agent platform. But if Meta can't buy one, building one seems like the obvious path.