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The developer has released Muse Spark 1.3, an updated AI model available now through Muse Code and the Meta Model API. The update focuses on sustaining longer, multi-step tasks, following complex instructions more reliably, and collaborating more actively with users by asking clarifying questions and checking in before consequential actions. A more advanced reasoning mode is expected soon pending additional safety testing.
Norway's digital minister Karianne Tung says the government is exploring rules to regulate camera-enabled wearables like those from Meta and Snap, citing growing privacy concerns. The devices, sometimes dubbed 'pervert glasses' by critics, combine cameras and microphones with AI and could soon add facial recognition capabilities. Tung plans to convene an expert panel to advise on protecting citizens' privacy rights.
Burning Man organizers updated their official survival guide to allow Meta's camera-equipped smart glasses at this year's festival, provided wearers get explicit permission before recording anyone in frame. The policy contrasts with venues like New York nightclub Basement, which has vowed to permanently ban attendees caught wearing the devices.
Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with 29 state attorneys general over claims that Instagram and Facebook design features harmed young users, agreeing to impose a two-hour daily usage cap for minors, remove certain cosmetic filters, and tighten age verification. Morgan Stanley analysts say resolving this legal overhang could pave the way for Meta to roll out a pipeline of AI products, including an upgraded MetaAI, agentic ad tools, subscription offerings, and its consumer AI agent Hatch.
A class-action lawsuit accusing Meta of misrepresenting privacy protections in its AI-powered smart glasses has been amended to add bystanders who never bought the devices but say they were recorded and had their footage sent to human content reviewers. The suit, filed after Swedish journalists exposed Kenyan content moderators describing intimate footage—including nudity and sexual activity—being reviewed to train Meta's AI, alleges the company falsely marketed the glasses as 'designed for privacy.'
Meta unveiled Muse Voice Transcribe, its first real-time audio perception model, capable of transcribing over 20 speakers simultaneously while switching between more than 20 validated languages, including mid-sentence code-switching. CEO Mark Zuckerberg demoed the tool on X, noting it uses adaptive delay to balance speed and accuracy. The model is now available through Meta's Mac AI app, Muse Code, and its Model API at $3 per 1,000 audio minutes.
Two Wall Street research notes this week argue that Meta's heavy AI investment is starting to show results. Bernstein said AI-powered ad targeting helped Meta grow ad revenue 27% year-over-year in Q2, gaining market share from Google, whose ad network revenue actually declined. Separately, Bank of America highlighted Meta's upcoming personal AI agent, Hatch, reportedly featuring a customizable dashboard and possible premium subscription tier costing up to $199.99 a month, as a potential new revenue source beyond advertising.
Meta Superintelligence Labs has released Muse Voice Transcribe, a streaming speech recognition model that combines transcription, speaker diarization for over 20 voices, and endpointing in a single pass. It supports more than 70 languages, with 25 validated at launch, handles recordings over an hour long, and allows mid-sentence code-switching between languages. The model is live now in Meta AI for Mac, Muse Code, and via the Meta Model API at $3 per 1,000 audio-minutes.
Meta has agreed to detailed commitments requiring more robust methods for identifying underage users, including AI tools and facial analysis, as part of a legal settlement over child safety. The company faces the technical challenge of accurately distinguishing minors from adults without overreaching into the privacy of all users, since safety protections only work if kids are correctly identified in the first place.
Aaron Sorkin has written and is releasing 'The Social Reckoning' through Sony Pictures on October 9, a follow-up to his 2010 film 'The Social Network' that examines how Facebook has evolved into a driver of extremism and division. The film's trailer debuted the same week Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion in penalties tied to claims its platform harmed children.
An entrepreneur who returned as CEO of his company in early 2024 describes reorganizing its technology strategy around profitable growth just as large language models surged in prominence. Rather than chasing AI investment without restraint, as he observed many companies doing, he prioritized cost discipline, setting a goal of $100 million in free cash flow within three years while using AI to address internal data problems that mirror those of the company's merchant customers.
Instagram announced it will mandate a visible 'AI-generated profile' label on accounts run by synthetic influencers, replacing the vaguer 'AI creator' tag that could be confused with human creators using AI tools. The label must appear in the bio header as well as on individual posts, Reels and Stories, and accounts that fail to add it will have their reach restricted. As of Monday afternoon, popular AI personas like Lil Miquela, Imma and Aitana Lopez had not yet been labeled, and Instagram hasn't clarified whether labeling will be automatic or manual.