Despite the failure of the AI Pin, Meta unveils Muse Charm, its own AI pendant

Mark Zuckerberg had kept the surprise for the end. As the Meta Connect conference was drawing to a close, the head of Meta pulled a small device, the Muse Charm, out of his pocket.The device fits into the trend for AI-powered gadgets, in the same vein as Meta’s smart glasses.

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A true AI-powered “Tamagotchi”

The Muse Charm features a fingerprint sensor. Located in the upper-right corner, it is used to activate the device and start a conversation with the assistant. You can also make out a small camera and three microphones on the front. As Mark Zuckerberg explained, there is no need to unlock a smartphone or open an app. In other words, all you have to do is press the button and speak to give Muse commands.

Meta’s CEO was happy to compare the gadget to a Tamagotchi, the cult toy from the 1990s. Rather than housing a small virtual creature to feed, the pendant houses Muse, Meta’s new autonomous AI assistant, which was unveiled earlier this month. Meta says users can customize their assistant’s voice and personality. You can give your Muse a name, as if it were a pet. A small screen will clearly display the look you have chosen for your AI at all times. That is what sets the Charm apart from the other AI gadgets that have flooded the market in recent years.

Meta plans to market the Muse Charm“in time for the end-of-year holidays.” However, the company has only built a few units for the time being.It still has to make a few key design decisions. Meta must, in particular, decide on the casing material. Zuckerberg has also mentioned a translucent finish that would allow the electronic components to show through. The brand has not yet discussed the price.

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Meta and the Ai Pin fiasco

The Muse Charm will enter a market marked by a series of flops. Standalone AI gadgets, such as Humane’s Ai Pin or the Rabbit R1, met with not the slightest success when they were released in 2024. Savaged by critics, Humane even ended up abandoning its product a year later. To prevent Charm from suffering the same fate, Meta is betting everything on Muse. The company has also announced new features for its AI assistant, such as live video conversations, custom voices, and a dedicated email address for each agent. The assistant can even make calls on your behalf.

In addition, the company has entered into a series of partnerships with retail giants. Meta has indeed signed agreements with retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, and Wayfair. Amazon, however, firmly refused to integrate Muse into its services.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, Muse must become “the personal superintelligence that billions of people around the world will use to achieve their goals”. Meta’s business model remains unclear at this stage. Meta nevertheless promises that conversations with the assistant will be free.

“We believe Muse will make you money, and we back this conviction by making Muse free for a large number of tokens, with the idea that in the long run, we will be profitable by taking a small commission on transactions,” explains Mark Zuckerberg.

To make money, Meta will instead charge a commission on transactions carried out via Muse. This is why partnerships are essential to Charm’s success, at least economically.

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