Meta’s Muse AI Agent Surges Ahead of Rivals

Meta's new chatbot Muse

Meta’s new personal artificial intelligence agent, Muse, is attracting users at a rapid pace, overtaking established AI rivals in downloads during the early days following its launch.

Released on 8th September 2026, Muse reportedly recorded around 730,000 downloads in its first five days, according to some reports.

Within its first 13 days, downloads had passed 2.5 million, with the app also reaching the top of Apple’s U.S. free-app chart, ahead of ChatGPT, Claude and Grok.

Not just any ChatBot

Muse is designed to go beyond conventional chatbots by carrying out tasks on a user’s behalf.

Meta says it can browse the web, fill in forms, book appointments and handle customer-service tasks, while also working through WhatsApp and across different devices.

However, direct comparisons with rival launches should be treated cautiously. Analysts noted that the competing applications had different launch schedules and varying availability across Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

The surge nevertheless highlights growing interest in AI agents capable of taking action rather than simply answering questions, potentially marking a new phase in the rapidly developing consumer AI market.

The King and AI

King Charles III has brought together senior figures from some of the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence companies.

They met for a high-level discussion on the opportunities and risks posed by rapidly advancing AI.

The meeting, held at Dumfries House in Scotland, brought representatives from Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind together. UK government officials and other experts joined the AI summit.

Intrigue and concern

The discussions reportedly focused on how AI can be developed and deployed while ensuring that safety. Human interests and wider environmental concerns remain central.

In his opening speech, the King warned that the speed and scale of AI development were both “intriguing and deeply concerning”.

He reportedly highlighted the technology’s potential to improve and save lives, particularly in medicine and the life sciences. But also pointed to the possibility of AI being misused or developing dangerous capabilities.

Safeguards

Charles called for sufficient safeguards and greater international cooperation, asking how the benefits of AI could be harnessed “with safety at its heart”.

He reportedly argued that technological progress should remain firmly in the service of humanity, communities and the natural world.

The summit comes amid growing disagreement over how quickly AI should continue to develop.

Anthropic

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has called for greater coordination and potentially a slower pace of development. However, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang has argued that companies should be responsible for testing their own systems.

OpenAI

The meeting also follows OpenAI‘s disclosure of several recent examples of unexpected or concerning behaviour by AI models.

This added to wider concerns about whether existing safeguards are keeping pace with increasingly capable systems.

Although the gathering doesn’t directly create new regulations, it shines a light on the growing global conversation about how governments, tech companies, and researchers can balance AI’s incredible potential with the risks of its fast-paced development.

Banknotes with King Charles III enter circulation for the first time

King Charles on a Five Pound Note
Banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles III entered circulation on Wednesday 5th June 2024.

Banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles III entered circulation on Wednesday 5th June 2024.

Charles’s portrait will be featured on the front of the £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes, visible through the notes’ transparent security window. He is only the second monarch to appear on British banknotes, following Queen Elizabeth II.

Currently, there are more than 4.6 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, with a combined value of around £82 billion.

Bank of England