Meta's 'Hatch' AI Agent: What the Internal Memo Reveals

Meta is testing a new AI agent, internally known as 'Project Hatch,' designed to act as a personal assistant for general consumers, according to an internal memo seen by Business Insider. The memo, shared with employees last month, details a range of capabilities, from ordering food and booking restaurant tables to accessing Instagram and even DJing.

The memo describes Hatch as "a personal agent that's always working on your behalf to help achieve your goals and improve your life, your health, your relationships, your personal finances and more." It emphasizes that Hatch "has its own computer so it can do anything you can do online, like filling out forms, buying something, or performing deep research," in a section titled "What makes Project Hatch different from an AI assistant?" This positions Hatch as a general-purpose agent rather than a simple chatbot.

Capabilities and Customization

According to the memo, Hatch can connect directly to apps such as Spotify, Instagram, email, and calendar, with the ability to perform tasks within those platforms. It also has "great memory and can remember more than most AIs," and allows users to "approve any sensitive actions" before they happen. The agent is designed to be highly personal: "You design your agent, so no two are alike. You name it, shape how it talks and decide what it pays attention to. If it gets something wrong, tell it and it adjusts." A product manager who posted about Hatch said they had built an agent named Veda that helped them find a new dog sitter, purchase a Father's Day gift, and change their sleep habits. Hatch also works in the background "even when the app is closed."

Testing and Rollout

The memo announced that Hatch was being made available to employees outside Meta's Superintelligence Labs group for testing. This suggests an internal rollout beyond the core AI team, though no public launch date has been confirmed. The Information previously reported that Meta plans to launch Hatch in the next few weeks, and that it has considered charging up to $200 per month for a premium subscription with higher usage limits, potentially as part of a tiered pricing system. These details have not been confirmed by Meta.

Market Context

Meta's development of Hatch comes amid a broader trend of AI agents that can control computers and perform tasks autonomously. Google launched a similar tool, Gemini Spark, earlier this year, while OpenAI and Anthropic also have agents capable of controlling users' computers. A startup called Instinct, which offers an AI assistant accessible via call or text, has generated buzz in recent weeks. PYMNTS reported that Instinct is raising a $250 million Series B at a $2.5 billion valuation, and that Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously spoken about the opportunity to create a more polished and easier-to-use version of the 'OpenClaw' experience, which may have influenced Hatch's development. Meta also tried to hire OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger before he joined OpenAI.

Business Implications

For Meta, Hatch could represent a new revenue stream from its AI investments, which have so far been driven mostly by improvements to its advertising products. The company has been working to catch up with rivals by releasing new models and a coding agent. Zuckerberg has previously touted his vision of everyone having their own personal AI assistants, and in a manifesto earlier this month, he wrote: "Meta is the company primarily focused on building personal superintelligence for everyone." A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the memo, and Meta did not immediately reply to PYMNTS' request for comment.