Meta is gearing up to showcase its AI ambitions at the Connect conference on September 23, 2026, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg will deliver a keynote from Menlo Park. The centerpiece is Muse, an agentic app built on Meta's own AI models that can handle tasks like booking appointments, making calls, and signing up for services. Muse puts Meta in direct competition with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. However, Meta has hit a roadblock: Amazon blocked the company from using AI bots to shop automatically on its platform. On the positive side, Instacart, Shopify, and Expedia have signed on as partners to integrate with Muse.
Key Takeaways
- <ul><li>Meta launched Muse, an agentic AI app that competes with ChatGPT and Claude</li><li>Amazon blocked Meta from using AI bots for automatic shopping</li><li>Instacart, Shopify, and Expedia partnered with Muse for integration</li><li>Meta settled a children's privacy lawsuit for up to $18 billion</li><li>UN Security Council held a briefing on AI and international security</li><li>Quantum nanostructures could reduce AI energy use by seven orders of magnitude</li><li>China's Xi Jinping pledged to make China the global AI leader</li><li>Marist University and IBM expanded their 50-year AI training partnership</li><li>Colorado Springs police adopted an AI system for non-emergency calls</li><li>Smart displays powered by AI are transforming classrooms and offices</li></ul>
Zuckerberg to unveil new AI-era products at Meta's Connect conference
Mark Zuckerberg will deliver a keynote at Meta's annual Connect conference from Menlo Park on September 23, 2026. Meta launched Muse, its first agentic app for consumers that can perform tasks like booking appointments and making calls. Amazon blocked Meta from using AI bots to shop for users automatically, while Instacart, Shopify and Expedia announced partnerships to integrate with Muse. The Muse agent is built on Meta's own AI models to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. Meta also faces privacy concerns over smart glasses and agreed to pay up to $18 billion in fines to settle a lawsuit about children's online privacy.
Meta set to unveil new AI products at Connect
Meta has spent billions to stay competitive in artificial intelligence as CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to announce new AI-era products. The company launched Muse, an agentic app that acts like a digital personal assistant for tasks such as signing up for services and making calls. Amazon blocked Meta from using AI bots to shop automatically, while Instacart, Shopify and Expedia partnered to integrate services into Muse. Meta's smart glasses, including Ray-Ban-branded models made with EssilorLuxottica, have faced privacy concerns. In August, Meta settled a lawsuit with US attorneys general for up to $18 billion in fines over children's privacy violations.
Meta Connect 2026 keynote live tonight with AI glasses and mixed-reality hardware
Meta hosted its annual Connect event on September 23, 2026, with Zuckerberg taking the stage at 4 p.m. PT. The event focused heavily on AI glasses news, including rumored camera-free glasses with a streamlined design and microphones for Meta's AI tech. Ray-Ban's latest Gen 2 glasses debuted at last year's event, and next-generation models were expected. Meta is also developing mixed-reality hardware codenamed Phoenix, a goggle-like device with hand and eye tracking connected to a control puck. Updates on Meta's metaverse, avatar initiatives and Muse, its AI agent, were also anticipated.
UN Security Council meets on AI and international security
The U.N. Security Council held a high-level briefing on artificial intelligence and its impacts on international security. Officials discussed global governance and potential risks posed by AI technology. The meeting addressed how AI affects world security and the need for international oversight.
UN Security Council meets on AI and international security
The U.N. Security Council convened a high-level briefing focused on artificial intelligence and its effects on international security. Officials gathered to discuss global governance frameworks and potential risks associated with AI. The session examined how advancing AI technology influences global security and the need for coordinated international response.
AI and nuclear weapons share a risky history
Artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons both came from human creativity. AI can change industries and help people, but it also brings unpredictable dangers. The article compares AI development to the history of nuclear weapons starting in 1945. Like nuclear technology, AI needs careful thought about what might go wrong.
Quantum nanostructures may cut AI energy use
AI systems use a lot of energy as they grow bigger and more complex. Researchers now propose using tiny quantum nanostructures with quantum emitters to bring nonlinearity to optical neural networks. This design could cut power use by seven orders of magnitude compared with conventional optical materials. The approach is still theoretical but shows strong promise for more efficient AI hardware.
China's leader maps out AI-driven future
Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited a technology park built on former farmland and saw robots perform advanced tasks. He said China will use artificial intelligence in factories, hospitals and schools to boost the economy. The government plans to focus national resources on making China the global leader in AI development. Xi described AI as a lead goose to guide China into its next economic revolution.
AI will reshape how science is discovered
AI is changing how researchers find new knowledge by summarizing literature and suggesting experiments. Generative AI lowers the cost of exploring ideas before investing money and time. But when everyone becomes more productive, output alone no longer means progress. Universities and federal agencies like the NSF will need to change how they review research and fund novel ideas.
Trump's AI push raises public fear
President Donald Trump has strongly supported expanding artificial intelligence development. His stance has made many Americans worry about a Terminator-like future where AI harms society. Experts say that full doomsday scenarios are still science fiction. However, they warn that real AI harms are already happening today.
Marist University partners with IBM on AI training
Marist University and IBM are working together on a new artificial intelligence initiative. This partnership builds on fifty years of collaboration between the two organizations. Students like junior Bobby McDonald are studying cybersecurity to prepare for a changing job market. The program helps students learn how to use AI tools to improve their productivity.
Smart displays now use AI for better learning and work
Interactive Flat Panel Displays are changing from simple screens into smart workspaces powered by artificial intelligence. These devices now help teachers create lesson plans and assist students with personalized learning. In offices, the technology generates meeting summaries and supports faster decision-making. Dr. Ramya Chatterjee of Solitaire Brand Business says success depends on improving real outcomes rather than just adding features. Companies in India are using local manufacturing to make these intelligent tools accessible to more people.
Colorado Springs police launches new AI call system
The Colorado Springs police department is starting to use a new artificial intelligence system for non-emergency calls. Officers have tested this technology for several months before making it available to the public. The update was reported recently to help manage call volumes more effectively.
Sources
- Zuckerberg to unveil new AI-era products at Meta's Connect conference
- Meta set to unveil new AI products at Connect
- Meta Connect 2026 keynote live tonight: Latest AI glasses, mixed-reality hardware, more
- WATCH LIVE: UN Security Council meets on AI and international security
- WATCH LIVE: UN Security Council meets on AI and international security
- How AI Fits Into Humanity's Troubling History
- Tiny Quantum Nanostructures Could Make AI Less of an Energy Hog
- How China’s Leader Plans to Win the Future With A.I.
- How AI will transform the landscape of scientific discovery
- Trump is betting big on AI — and that has Americans fearing a Terminator-like dystopia
- Marist partnering with IBM on AI career readiness
- Shifting from Hardware Specs to Ecosystem Value: Software, AI, and Cloud as the Core Drivers of IFPD Innovation
- Colorado Springs police is rolling out their artificial intelligence call system
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