Meta Platforms Inc. has introduced a new handheld device designed to work with its personal AI assistant, Muse, at the company’s annual Connect event held at its Silicon Valley headquarters. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, described Muse as the “centrepiece” of his vision for the company’s artificial intelligence strategy.
The newly unveiled device, called Muse Charm, is a small pendant-like gadget that fits on a keychain and is unlocked via a fingerprint sensor. It features a screen displaying the Muse avatar and offers real-time voice interactivity. Meta plans to launch the device in December. Zuckerberg presented the Charm as a convenient way for users, especially those not wearing glasses, to interact quickly with the Muse AI and share contextual information about their surroundings.
Muse itself, which was first publicly reported in May, has quickly gained traction since its official app release just two weeks ago, becoming the most downloaded app on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play in the United States. The AI assistant offers users autonomous bots capable of handling daily tasks such as grocery ordering, travel booking, and financial management.
Zuckerberg also announced enhancements to Muse, including the ability to engage in live conversations with the AI assistant. He emphasized the platform’s commitment to maintaining “state of the art privacy and security” amid growing concerns over data protection. The company is offering a free tier of Muse with plans to monetize the service over time by taking a small fee from transactions conducted through the assistant. Zuckerberg expressed confidence that Muse could help users generate income, signaling Meta’s ambition to integrate AI into practical, everyday financial activities.
This launch follows a challenging period for Meta, during which the company faced stiff competition from AI leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Meta’s stock experienced a decline of more than 25% between September last year and early August but rebounded significantly following Muse’s release, adding approximately $300 billion to the company’s market capitalization.
In addition to the Muse Charm, Zuckerberg highlighted Meta’s focus on AI wearables as part of its broader strategy. The event featured the announcement of new Ray-Ban smart glasses without cameras, addressing privacy concerns that have surfaced around earlier models branded by critics as “pervert glasses” due to their recording capabilities. Meta also revealed a forthcoming line of virtual reality glasses priced at $1,300, set for release next spring. These new VR glasses are notably lighter than the previous Quest 3 model, and Muse integration is expected to be available on these devices.
Meta aims to personalize Muse extensively by leveraging user data from its social platforms and potentially other connected services, such as email, calendars, and financial apps. However, the company faces the challenge of convincing users to share sensitive personal data, especially as AI technologies remain susceptible to errors and issues related to security and reliability.
Whether Meta’s ambitious AI vision, embodied by Muse and its associated hardware, will achieve lasting success is contingent on user acceptance and the company’s ability to address privacy and security concerns while maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.