Meta rolls out new AI model in fundamental shift in latest effort to catch up with rivals

Mark Zuckerberg-run Meta has rolled out a new artificial intelligence model designed to power everything from shopping suggestions to chat — the latest effort in the tech giant’s costly push to catch up in the AI race.The company earlier this week unveiled Muse Spark, its first big artificial intelligence model since Meta overhauled its internal AI division in a bid to close the gap with rivals like OpenAI and Google.The latest push comes after Meta poured billions into the Scale AI startup — whose founder Alexandr Wang reportedly went on to describe Zuckerberg’s micromanagement as “suffocating.”Muse Spark is designed to handle text, images and more complex reasoning tasks, allowing users to ask questions, analyze photos, generate content and even get help with shopping decisions.Ravi Sawhney, founder of RKS Design, said Meta’s push into AI shopping is less about technology, and more about influencing behavior.“Meta is trying to move shopping from intent to influence.Instead of people searching for what they want, the platform is shaping what they believe they want in real time,” he told The Post.

“That is a fundamental shift.”Zuck is increasingly tying AI directly to consumer products rather than focusing solely on developer tools or open-source releases.Meta is baking the technology into new “shopping mode” features that suggest products, compare items and surface recommendations based on what users are already browsing across its apps.The company has pitched the assistant as more like a personal aide than a chatbot — capable of handling everyday decisions like what to wear, how to decorate a room or which products to buy.“The opportunity is not better recommendations.It is creating a sense of confidence and self alignment in the decision,” Sawhney told The Post.

“Most AI shopping tools will fail here.They will surface more options, more noise and more second guessing.”He framed the strategy as a direct challenge to existing ...