News in Short
- Meta has launched Muse Gadgets, an open-source project for building Muse-powered hardware.
- Developers can connect Muse with displays, buttons, sensors and actuators.
- Meta is offering open-source firmware and a Linux software development kit.
- The project can run on hardware such as Raspberry Pi and ESP32 boards.
Meta is expanding its Muse AI agent beyond computers and mobile devices.
The company has introduced Muse Gadgets, an open-source project that allows developers and hobbyists to build their own hardware connected to Muse.
Muse can already perform tasks such as booking travel, filling out forms and shopping on a user’s behalf. With Muse Gadgets, Meta is now exploring how the agent can interact with physical devices.
The company is providing the software building blocks needed to get started, along with several example projects.
Developers can build their own Muse gadgets
Meta is offering open-source firmware and a Linux software development kit as part of Muse Gadgets.
The company has also suggested projects such as adding Muse to a colour e-ink display or creating a device that connects to a television through an HDMI port.
Developers do not need specialised hardware to experiment with the platform.
Meta says users can use inexpensive computers such as Raspberry Pi systems or ESP32 development boards. These devices can then connect Muse to displays, buttons, sensors, actuators and other hardware.
Meta has also created a Discord channel where developers can get support while experimenting with the platform.
Muse can connect to smart home devices
Meta has already tested the idea internally with its own hardware.
Nat Friedman, head of product at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, revealed Muse Home Link. The USB-C-powered device allows Muse to connect to a home network and communicate with compatible smart devices.
That includes products such as smart speakers and smart TVs.
The concept gives Muse a physical connection to devices around a home. Instead of simply responding to requests, the AI agent could potentially interact with connected hardware through a purpose-built device.
Meta is giving away Muse Home Link devices
Meta produced 5,000 Muse Home Link units and plans to give them away to Muse subscribers while supplies last, according to Friedman.
The device is expected to ship within a few weeks.
The free hardware also gives Meta a way to test how people use Muse when it can interact with physical devices.
However, the company has not indicated that Muse Home Link represents a mass-market hardware product. Its current role appears focused on extending Muse’s capabilities and exploring new use cases.
Muse is moving beyond a standalone AI assistant
Muse Gadgets also fits into Meta’s broader plans for its AI agent.
The company is not limiting Muse to individual consumers. Meta recently introduced Muse for Small Business, which offers the AI agent with usage limits and connections to services including Shopify, Dropbox and Slack.
Meta has also created a new Meta Enterprise Platform business unit to expand its AI products among business and corporate customers.
Muse Gadgets adds another layer to that strategy.
Instead of keeping Muse inside an app, Meta is giving developers tools to connect the agent with physical hardware. That could create applications that combine AI with displays, sensors and connected devices.
Meta wants developers to experiment with Muse
Muse Gadgets is likely to appeal most to developers, hobbyists and hardware enthusiasts rather than mainstream users at launch.
Still, opening the project could help Meta discover new ways to use Muse.
The open-source approach also gives developers more freedom to experiment with hardware that Meta itself does not manufacture.
For now, the project remains an early look at how Meta wants Muse to evolve. The company is positioning the AI agent not just as a chatbot, but as software that can interact with digital services and, increasingly, the physical world.
