Mark Zuckerberg took repeated digs at Apple during Meta’s annual event, only to borrow a page from Steve Jobs’ playbook for a surprise reveal: a pocket-watch-sized device that carries Meta’s viral Muse AI agent into the real world.
The device, called Muse Charm, highlights a broader shift at the social media giant that has long sought to escape Apple and Google’s operating systems with a platform of its own. Users can tap the gadget to access Muse directly, bypassing AI apps on smartphones.
Having once championed the metaverse – the immersive digital world that inspired the company’s name change in 2021 – as the next computing platform, Zuckerberg now sees “personal superintelligence” as the bigger and more immediate breakthrough, after his previous costly wager failed.
“It is actually quite clear personal superintelligence will not only come first; it will be much bigger and more important,” Zuckerberg said at the company’s annual Meta Connect conference.
“So we have shifted our focus to building the best devices for personal superintelligence,” he said, adding that Muse would also soon be available across Meta’s smart glasses lineup.
The remarks follow a blockbuster few days for Muse, which has drawn millions of downloads in what some analysts have said could be the biggest app launch in the US since ChatGPT arrived in November 2022 and kicked off the AI boom.
Investors have embraced Muse’s potential to automate tasks ranging from booking flights to filing taxes, lifting shares of partners such as Shopify while dumping companies seen as vulnerable to disruption, including online travel agency Booking and TurboTax software creator Intuit.
Meta shares climbed more than 3 per cent yesterday after rising nearly 24pc since the launch of Muse on September 8. The company was on track to add about $56 billion in market value, after gaining roughly $324bn through Wednesday’s close.
Muse Charm could resonate with younger consumers at a time when digital cameras, flip phones and MP3 players are enjoying nostalgic comebacks, analysts say.
Gen Z consumers, aged about 14 to 29, treat AI assistants as companions or brainstorming partners rather than simply search tools. Many interact with technology through voice notes, short videos and AI chatbots, unlike older users who are often more comfortable with PCs and smartphone apps.
“Muse Charm could find some traction among Gen Z and younger consumers. The combination of AI, fashion and personalisation could appeal to younger users, especially if it is affordable and easy to use,” said Linda Sui, founder of Smart Analytics Global, a market research firm.
The device features a roughly 2-inch screen that can be navigated with a thumb, with a customisable Muse character at its centre. A built-in 5G modem allows access to Muse even without Wi-Fi, though it cannot make calls.
“They are appealing to people who might not want to wear glasses or might not trust glasses,” said IDC director Jitesh Ubrani.
“Some people might remember Tamagotchi and this might evoke that,” Ubrani said, referring to colorful virtual pets that became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1990s.
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