Meta stock up 33% on Muse AI buzz, analysts split

The Hidden Gems Investing panel framed Meta's week as a test of whether a company built on advertising can turn AI hardware into a genuine platform. Meta's device strategy pairs the Muse AI agent with glasses and a forthcoming charm device that users can talk to passively throughout the day. The idea is that third-party services — email, Uber, retail accounts — plug into that agent, giving Meta a platform role rather than just an app role.

The analysts were split on whether that vision can shift consumer habits. Emily Flippen saw genuine practical use in the camera-free Ray-Ban glasses, which address privacy concerns that have dogged the product line. Lou Whiteman was more skeptical, arguing that good-enough smartphones are hard to displace and comparing AI gadgets to a passing spectacle rather than a daily necessity.

Monetization drew equal scrutiny. Zuckerberg has said Meta will take a small cut of each transaction routed through Muse, but the panel noted the trust barrier of connecting financial credentials and the scale of Meta's AI spending. The discussion also tied Meta's moment to broader AI infrastructure worries, including Oracle's force majeure declaration, which the analysts treated as a possible signal about debt-funded data center buildouts.