Fans on social media noted the irony of the band’s handle being taken by an AI tool, given frontman Matt Bellamy’s songs about fears and anxieties surrounding technology
- Bookmark
The rock band Muse appear to have handed over the handle to their X and Instagram accounts to Meta’s new personal AI tool, also called Muse, after it launched this week.
The technology is currently restricted to users in the US and is being rolled out by the parent company of Facebook and Instagram with an emphasis on privacy and safety.
It is designed to assist adults with everyday tasks such as scheduling, shopping, payments and emails, as well as converting “long-term goals into action plans”.
Fans of the rock band Muse, who formed in Devon in 1994, noticed that their handle on X has now changed to @Musetheband , while Meta’s AI app has claimed their previous handle, @Muse . The same is the case on Instagram, where the band’s handle is now @museband .
Many also noted the irony of the switch, as Muse are known for a number of songs that warn of a dystopian future in which we are ruled or brainwashed by technology.
On “Algorithm”, the opening track from their 2018 album Simulation Theory, Bellamy sings: “Burn like a slave/ Churn like a cog/ We are caged in simulations/ Algorithms evolve/ Push us aside and render us obsolete.”
Their 2015 album Drones was also heavily inspired by fears and anxieties surrounding technology and how it might be used for social oppression.
“Muse going from making dystopian rock albums warning us about the machine takeover to taking an AI buyout is top tier tragic irony,” one fan wrote on X.
“WHAAAAT thats insane that MUSE THE BAND got bought out by an ai company,” another said.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
One commented: “Insane how one of the best bands of the world had to lose their perfect handle for an AI chatbot that will go off in less than five years. Wonder how much they got paid.”
The change appears to have been made in July, with some fans noting that they had wondered why the band had made the switch on their social media.
Some also claimed that their accounts had followed the Muse AI app account automatically, as they were following the band; The Independent has been unable to verify this, however, the X account for Muse the AI tool only had 11,000 followers at the time of writing, while Muse the band boast 2.3 million.
The Independent has contacted representatives of Muse (the band) and Meta for comment.
Fronted by Matt Bellamy, Muse are one of the UK’s biggest rock bands of the past few decades.
They have released 10 studio albums, most recently The Wow! Signal, which came out in June this year to mostly positive reviews.
Muse are also setting out on a headline tour of the UK and Europe from November, which will include a night at the O2 Arena in London.
Join our commenting forum #
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments