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At its annual Connect event, Meta unveiled Muse, a new personal AI agent, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg signaling the company's intent to embed AI features broadly across its products. TechCrunch's Equity podcast hosts discussed the launch, noting it arrived the same week as new model releases from OpenAI and Anthropic, which have focused more on coding and enterprise tools.
Meta's newly rolled out Muse AI assistant can identify and cancel consumers' recurring subscriptions, folding that function into a broader personal-assistant tool rather than a standalone subscription-management app. The launch comes as U.S. consumer subscription spending has risen sharply, with Mastercard and FT Strategies reporting 44% of consumers increased subscription spending in 2025 to an average of $1,887 annually.
Meta launched Muse, an AI agent restricted to users 18 and older, alongside a cuddly, customizable mascot called Jolly that appeared in a toga at Meta Connect and in fitness-themed Instagram ads. Meta also plans to sell a Tamagotchi-style physical device tied to the character later this year. A Meta spokesperson said the company verifies birthdates and blocks suspected minors from creating accounts.
Mark Zuckerberg has said in recent interviews that Ray-Ban Meta glasses signal photo-taking more clearly than smartphones do, since the glasses light up when capturing an image while phones typically do not. Journalist Joanna Stern countered that holding up a phone is itself a visible cue, even without a light indicator.
Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly rejected calls to join other AI developers in coordinating on safety measures, even as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google reportedly work toward forming a joint safety coordination body. The details of that proposed organization remain unclear, but its formation suggests some rivals are seeking common ground on managing AI risks.
At its annual Connect conference, Meta introduced the Muse Charm, a keychain-like pendant giving quick access to its Muse AI assistant, without disclosing a price. The company also said more than 100 styles of AI glasses would be available by the end of 2026, positioning Muse as central to its hardware push, an event held a week ahead of OpenAI's developer conference.
At its Connect event, Meta announced the Muse Charm, a small round keychain with a fingerprint sensor that lets users activate Muse, Meta's AI agent, without a phone or laptop. Zuckerberg said the device will let users send messages on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and is expected to launch by December.
At its Connect event, Meta announced Muse Charm, a small fingerprint-activated pendant with a screen showing the Muse AI avatar and real-time voice interaction. Mark Zuckerberg called Muse the 'centerpiece' of Meta's AI strategy and said the device would be the fastest way to talk to Muse without wearing smart glasses. Meta also added live conversation capabilities to the Muse app, which has become the most downloaded app in the US since its launch two weeks ago.
Following Meta's Connect conference, where the new Muse AI agent debuted to strong early reception, Mark Zuckerberg gave interviews defending Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, including one with Alex Heath on the Sources podcast. Zuckerberg argued phone cameras and glasses cameras raise similar privacy concerns, noting people already record each other constantly with phones. The Verge's Nilay Patel says Meta declined his own interview request and instead highlights gaps in Zuckerberg's comparison from the Heath interview.
Mark Zuckerberg introduced the Meta VR Glasses, a slimmer and lighter successor to the Quest headset line, priced at $1,299 and slated for spring 2027. He also showed the Muse Charm, a handheld pendant letting users speak to Meta's Muse AI agent without a phone, expected to ship by December but with no price disclosed yet.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg used the company's Connect keynote to unveil a wave of new features for Muse, its personal AI agent launched in early September. The updates include a digital avatar named Jolly, deeper integration with apps like email and calendars, and availability on Meta's AI glasses, all powered by the Muse Spark multimodal model.
At Meta's Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Muse Charm, a small keychain-sized device that houses Meta's Muse AI agent and its animated avatar, called Jolly, on a tiny screen. Users activate it via a fingerprint sensor to talk to the assistant instantly without unlocking a phone or opening an app, and Zuckerberg said the device is set to ship in time for the December holidays.