The Sequence Opinion #896: Spark, Compute, and the Two Metas
Can Meta compete with frontier AI labs.
TL;DR
- Meta launched Muse Spark 1.1, its second model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, which is the first Meta model with a price tag.
- Muse Spark 1.1 features a public API, aggressive pricing ($1.25/million input tokens, $4.25/million output tokens), an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and closed weights.
- Meta also shipped Muse Image, its first image generation model, and is reportedly building a cloud business called Meta Compute to sell surplus AI infrastructure.
- The company is also developing custom MTIA silicon, indicating a move towards controlling the entire vertical stack of AI development, from chips to applications.
- The article questions Meta's ability to compete with frontier AI labs, suggesting potential strength in the app and agent layer but less evidence in model creation.
- Mark Zuckerberg's return to X after three years coincided with the announcement of Muse Spark 1.1.