Meta's AI Agent Threatens to Strip Apple of Valuable Revenue Streams
Apple's dominance in the tech industry is facing a subtle threat from Meta's Muse. Launched on September 8, Muse is an artificial-intelligence agent that can open browsers, fill in forms, and negotiate tasks even when the app is closed. This raises concerns for Apple as it could strip the company of valuable discovery, referral, and transaction revenue.
Despite robust iPhone sales, Apple faces a challenge from Meta's AI-powered agent. Muse has already reached 2.5 million downloads in its first two weeks and topped the US iOS free-app chart. Commerce partners such as Shopify, Expedia Group, and PayPal have also signed on to work with the agent.
Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan noted that Apple's Siri still trails behind Muse in functional areas. 'What Siri AI does not yet have is the agentic capabilities of persistent background tasks, third-party action coverage, or an agent payment rail at Muse's level of visible completeness,' Mohan said.
Apple's annual software release cycle contrasts with the daily updates provided by Meta's Muse. This development pace poses another hurdle for Apple as it struggles to keep up with the rapid innovation cycles brought about by AI agents like Muse.