Meta's Muse Tops App Store, Drives 11.4% Share Jump

Key Takeaways

• <ul><li>Meta's Muse AI app reached over 2.5 million downloads across iOS and Android within days of its September 8 launch</li><li>Muse topped the Apple App Store free rankings, beating ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok</li><li>Meta shares rose 11.4 percent after the Muse launch, helping AMD surpass $1 trillion market cap</li><li>Amazon blocked Muse from its shopping site while Shopify partnered with Meta</li><li>Meta plans subscription tiers for Muse at $20 or $100 per month</li><li>Google launched Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Flash-Lite TTS models supporting 100+ languages with watermarking safety features</li><li>59 percent of Asia Pacific IT leaders plan to increase AI investment by over 25 percent in 2026</li><li>California is developing a kill switch system for advanced AI models through its AI for America initiative</li><li>Alibaba faces investor scrutiny over triple-digit AI growth paired with heavy data center spending</li><li>A new study tested 4,800 requests across two model versions and found most AI decision audit results remained unclear</li></ul>

Meta AI assistant Muse drives stock up 11 percent

Meta's AI assistant Muse topped the Apple App Store free rankings and logged 730,000 downloads in five days. The launch pushed Meta shares up 11.4 percent and helped AMD pass a $1 trillion market cap. Muse runs on Meta's Muse Spark models and may bring in subscription revenue. It faces challenges, including a block from Amazon.

Meta Muse AI app beats ChatGPT and Claude on charts

Meta's Muse AI app pulled ahead of ChatGPT, Claude and Grok in App Store rankings after launching on September 8. It reached over 2.5 million downloads across iOS and Android within days. Meta plans to offer Muse for free with subscriptions at $20 or $100 per month. Shopify partnered with Meta, while Amazon blocked Muse from its shopping site.

Google launches Gemini 3.8 text-to-speech models

Google introduced two new text-to-speech models called Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS and Gemini 3.8 Flash-Lite TTS. The models let users create custom voices, control emotion and pacing, and generate expressive audio for audiobooks, podcasts and games. They include safety tools like watermarking and support over 100 languages. The models are available across Google AI Studio, Gemini API and other Google platforms.

Digital Realty survey shows rising AI investment in Asia Pacific

Digital Realty's 2026 Global Data Insights Survey found that 59 percent of Asia Pacific respondents plan to increase AI investment by more than 25 percent in 2026. The survey covered 2,131 IT decision-makers across 19 countries. Australia leads with 33 percent realizing AI return on investment, while Singapore and South Korea face infrastructure and connectivity challenges. Most APAC companies now tie data location decisions to their AI strategies.

European stocks rise as oil falls and tech gains on AI

European equities rose on September 23 as oil prices fell for a sixth straight day and AI optimism lifted tech stocks. Saudi Arabia reportedly restarted operations at its East-West Pipeline and may have resumed exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The gains reflected renewed investor confidence in both energy markets and artificial intelligence companies.

California plans a kill switch for powerful AI systems

California is studying how to shut down advanced AI models during emergencies. The state's AI for America initiative launched in 2022 is leading the effort. Experts from schools, businesses, and government are helping develop the system. The plan also aims to verify company safety measures and prevent misuse of the kill switch.

Alibaba stock faces questions after strong Q1 AI growth

Alibaba's stock has shown big swings in the first quarter due to its Qwen AI models and chip plans. The company saw triple-digit growth in AI products but also spent heavily on data centers. Investors are watching closely to see if global AI expansion can justify the company's value. Execution risks and high costs remain key concerns.

Calix expands AI workflows for broadband providers

Calix added new agentic workflows to its Agent Workforce Cloud on the Calix One platform. The tools help broadband providers use AI in marketing, support, and daily operations. The company links these AI features to business metrics like recurring revenue and repair times. This expansion may shape how investors view Calix's future growth.

Report finds SUNY lacks strong AI governance rules

A New York state Comptroller report found that SUNY does not have a proper AI governance framework. The audit covered January 2019 to October 2025 and included Onondaga Community College. One campus tool was secretly using AI despite officials denying it. Since the report, SUNY created a Systemwide Artificial Intelligence Policy Framework and OCC formed an AI advisory committee.

Study examines challenges in auditing AI product decisions

A new study presents a method to audit AI decisions about product improvements. The research tested 4,800 requests across two model versions on synthetic tasks. Most results stayed unclear even with different accuracy levels. The findings suggest keeping structured input data and understanding why decisions fail before collecting more data.

Sources

• Meta's AI Assistant 'Muse' Lifts Stock 11%, Revives AI Rally
• Meta Muse AI App Tops App Store Charts Ahead of ChatGPT and Claude
• Gemini 3.8 text-to-speech says hello
• Digital Realty: APAC AI Investment Gathers Momentum
• European stocks gain as oil slides, AI buzz lifts tech
• California explores "kill switch" for powerful AI systems
• BABA Stock After Q1: Can Qwen, Chips & Global AI Expansion Deliver?
• Should AI Workflow Expansion Require Action From Calix (CALX) Investors?
• Report calls for better AI governance at SUNY campuses
• The Delegation Blind Spot: Auditing Product Decisions from Agent Choices