Meta Pivots to 'Personal Superintelligence' with New AI Hardware and Muse Agent at Connect 2026
Meta unveiled new AI-powered wearables and its Muse agent, signaling a significant shift in focus towards personal superintelligence and away from its prior metaverse emphasis.
The story
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg used the Meta Connect 2026 event to introduce a range of new AI-centric hardware and a revised strategic direction. The company launched 'Muse Charm,' a pocket-watch-sized device designed to carry Meta's Muse AI agent into the real world, allowing users to access the AI directly without a smartphone.
Additionally, Meta showcased new, slimmer VR glasses and camera-free Ray-Ban smart glasses, emphasizing their utility for media consumption and personal AI interaction. Zuckerberg highlighted 'personal superintelligence' as the company's immediate breakthrough focus, marking a clear pivot from the costly metaverse initiatives that have defined Meta's recent years.
The Muse AI agent is also integrating with major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, and Sephora for shopping, and with Expedia for travel planning, expanding its practical applications. This shift indicates Meta's intent to embed AI deeply into daily life through new form factors and practical applications, aiming to bypass reliance on existing mobile operating systems.
Who moved
Meta
What Changed: Unveiled new AI hardware including Muse Charm, new VR glasses, and camera-free Ray-Ban smart glasses at Meta Connect 2026.
Why It Matters: This signals a strategic pivot towards 'personal superintelligence' and AI-powered wearables, shifting focus from its previous metaverse emphasis.
Microsoft
What Changed: Stock settled at $498 on September 22, 2026, lagging the Nasdaq-100's record highs and showing only 3.63% year-to-date growth.
Why It Matters: Despite strong cloud growth, investors are scrutinizing whether its substantial AI capital expenditure is translating into sufficient revenue and profit.
Products & launches
Muse Charm
Company: Meta
What: A pocket-watch-sized device carrying Meta's Muse AI agent, designed for real-world AI access.
New VR Glasses
Company: Meta
What: Slimmer virtual reality glasses pitched for watching movies, playing games, and streaming live sports.
Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
Company: Meta
What: Camera-free smart glasses, designed to be thinner and address privacy concerns, integrating with Meta's AI.
Windows Security Update
Company: Microsoft
What: The September 2026 security update is now available for all supported versions of Windows.
Windows Non-Security Preview Updates
Company: Microsoft
What: Includes improvements in system responsiveness, start/taskbar, and File Explorer, rolling out broadly.
Money & markets
Microsoft. Stock closed at $498 on September 22, 2026, down 0.72% on a day when the Nasdaq-100 proxy QQQ hit a record high.
Big Tech (NVIDIA, Google-A, Amazon, Meta, Broadcom, Intel). Major U.S. tech stocks, including NVIDIA (-0.24%), Google-A (-0.6%), Amazon (-0.92%), Meta (-0.77%), Broadcom (-0.77%), and Intel (-0.73%), declined on September 23, 2026.
Apple. Apple stock rose 0.35% on September 23, 2026, contrasting with declines seen across many other major tech stocks.
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.