Meta Launches Muse Wonder AI Model, Tests Paid Subscriptions

Meta Platforms Inc. has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence model, Muse Wonder, which the company states is its most advanced offering for powering digital assistants. Access to the model is available through paid monthly subscriptions, with plans costing $20 or $100 for users of the Muse app. This release highlights Meta's strategic efforts to develop new revenue streams derived from AI technologies, diversifying beyond its primary online advertising business.

The Muse Wonder model, codenamed Watermelon, was developed to enhance the capabilities of personal and professional agents. According to Meta's AI chief, Alexandr Wang, the model is trained to better handle real-world tasks, such as booking dinner reservations, and to find alternative solutions when encountering obstacles, reducing the need for constant user intervention.

Meta reports that Muse Wonder includes its strongest safeguards to date against cyber misuse, with these protections available only in the paid versions. The Muse app itself gained significant traction, rising to the top of Apple's App Store shortly after its introduction last month. While the base app is free, enhanced features necessitate a subscription.

The company is also making Muse Wonder available to developers via its Meta Model API. This developer-focused offering is priced higher due to its larger scale and advanced capabilities but is intended to be priced competitively below leading models from competitors like OpenAI. Additionally, a more powerful variant, Muse Wonder Full, is available through subscription to the Muse Code AI agent.