Muse’s Early Boom Gives Meta Stock a New AI Catalyst

Meta shares jumped 11.4% on Monday as its Muse AI assistant climbed app-store rankings and Wells Fargo raised its price target to $796 from $640. The stock added about 1% Wednesday as Meta showcased Muse at its Connect event.

App analytics firm Apptopia estimated Muse had 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days. In the United States, it counted 642,000 daily active users, more than ChatGPT had at the same point after its mobile launch.

The comparison is not exact: Muse launched in the U.S. and Canada on both iOS and Android, while ChatGPT’s mobile debut was global but initially limited to iPhones. Apptopia’s U.S. and Canada iPhone data showed 1.8 million Muse downloads in 12 days, versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT.

Unlike a chatbot that mainly answers questions, Muse is designed to handle tasks such as filling out forms, booking travel and shopping. Meta said at Connect that it plans to bring the agent to its AI glasses, letting users make requests hands-free.

That gives Meta a route to put Muse in front of people through products they already use. But popularity alone does not show whether users will keep returning, or whether the assistant can generate meaningful revenue.

The financial hurdle is substantial. Meta expects to spend $130 billion to $145 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, including investments supporting its AI efforts, according to its latest earnings outlook.

There are also limits to what Muse can do across the web. Amazon has blocked the agent from browsing and buying on its store, citing customer security and saying it had not authorized Muse to access accounts or process transactions.

Investors will be watching whether downloads turn into regular use, and whether Meta can build business models around subscriptions, advertising or transactions. The Connect announcements widen the product’s reach, but those results will matter more than its app-store ranking.