Meta's AI story changed dramatically in 2026. The company behind the open Llama models rebuilt its research lab, launched a new family of mostly proprietary models called Muse, and released a consumer app that shot to the top of the App Store. Here is the latest Meta AI news and why it matters for businesses and developers.
Updated 10 November 2026. Details come from Fortune, VentureBeat, eWeek and other reporting; see the sources at the end.
From Llama to Meta Superintelligence Labs
Llama 4 launched in April 2025 to mixed reviews and a benchmarking controversy. In mid-2025 Mark Zuckerberg created Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), led by Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang. Fortune reports that Meta paid $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI as part of that move. Wang has said MSL's core research team numbers fewer than 200 people, "closer to 100", backed by much larger infrastructure and product teams.
The Muse model family
Muse Spark (April 2026)
MSL's first model, Muse Spark, arrived in April 2026. VentureBeat described it as a new proprietary model and Meta's first since the lab formed. Meta says it reaches its reasoning capabilities using over an order of magnitude less compute than Llama 4 Maverick. Updates followed, including a 1.1 release in July.
Muse Wonder (October 2026)
In October, Meta released Muse Wonder, which it calls the lab's first frontier-class model. Wang says it is state of the art "based on our measurement" for personal and professional agent tasks. According to reporting cited by Fortune, the flagship Muse Wonder Full sits roughly level with top OpenAI and Anthropic models on Artificial Analysis's Intelligence Index, a couple of points behind the leader.
The Muse app
Meta launched its Muse personal AI agent app in the US on 8 September 2026. Sensor Tower data cited by CNN and Fortune showed it became the most popular free app on Apple's App Store, with over 2.5 million downloads in about two weeks.
Open vs closed: what happened to open models?
Llama made Meta the face of open-weight AI, with wide adoption by developers. Reporting from April 2026 indicated that MSL's releases would be mostly closed, with only some open-licence versions. For developers, existing Llama models remain usable under their licences, but Meta's newest frontier capability is now largely proprietary.
Why open models still matter:
- Data control: run models on your own servers for sensitive data.
- Cost at scale: self-hosting can be cheaper for steady, high-volume workloads.
- Customisation: fine-tune for a niche task or language.
Record spending
Meta expects 2026 capital expenditures of $130 billion to $145 billion, nearly double the $72.2 billion it spent the year before, much of it on AI infrastructure.
Meta AI in 2026 at a glance
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| April 2025 | Llama 4 launches to mixed reviews |
| Mid-2025 | Meta Superintelligence Labs formed, led by Alexandr Wang |
| April 2026 | Muse Spark, MSL's first (proprietary) model |
| July 2026 | Muse Spark 1.1 |
| 8 September 2026 | Muse app launches in the US |
| October 2026 | Muse Wonder, the first frontier-class MSL model |
What the Meta AI news means for businesses
- Another frontier option. Meta now competes directly with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google at the top end.
- Consumer reach. With billions of users across Meta's apps, Meta's assistants will shape how customers expect to interact with businesses on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
- Plan your open-model strategy. If you relied on Llama for privacy or cost, keep an eye on licences and alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Meta still releasing Llama models?
Meta's newest frontier models are the Muse family from Superintelligence Labs, which reporting describes as mostly proprietary. Existing Llama models remain available under their licences.
What is Muse Wonder?
Meta's first frontier-class model from Superintelligence Labs, released in October 2026 and aimed at personal and professional agent tasks.
What is the Muse app?
Meta's personal AI agent app, launched in the US on 8 September 2026, which quickly topped Apple's free app chart.
Conclusion
Meta has moved from open-model champion to a frontier contender with proprietary Muse models and a hit consumer app. For businesses, it adds choice and raises customer expectations for AI on social and messaging platforms. Compare the assistants in our 2026 comparison, or talk to Kafsols about AI for your channels.
Sources
- Fortune: How Alexandr Wang won Mark Zuckerberg's trust and a $100 billion-plus AI bet
- VentureBeat: Goodbye, Llama? Meta launches new proprietary AI model Muse Spark
- eWeek: Meta's Superintelligence Labs hits first breakthrough AI models
- MediaPost: Meta hybrid superintelligence could shift to mostly closed AI models
- Wikipedia: Meta Superintelligence Labs
