Meta’s Muse Beat ChatGPT’s Early Download Pace: Is Zuckerberg’s AI Bet Finally Paying Out?
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Meta's new AI agent, Muse, has surpassed ChatGPT in early iOS downloads, reaching 1.43 million in its first 12 days according to Bank of America data. This strong traction has boosted investor sentiment, driving Meta's stock up over 20% since launch and lifting its valuation multiple. However, analysts note that meaningful revenue from Muse is unlikely before 2028, suggesting current gains rely on multiple expansion rather than immediate profit growth.
On Sept. 8, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) launched Muse, a personal AI agent that browses websites, sorts email and completes multi-step tasks on its own.
Two weeks later, the app is outrunning some of the biggest consumer launches in tech.
Sensor Tower data cited by Bank of America showed Muse reached roughly 2.5 million U.S. downloads through Sept. 19 and about 557,000 daily active users.
On iOS, its first 12 days produced 1.43 million downloads, slightly ahead of ChatGPT’s comparable launch trajectory.
Bank of America analyst Justin Post reiterated a Buy rating and an $810 price objective, saying early traction is lifting sentiment on Meta’s AI strategy.
Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT’s Early Download Curve
After 12 days, Muse had 1.43 million cumulative U.S. iOS downloads.
ChatGPT had 1.37 million over the same post-launch window, Gemini 0.71 million, Grok 0.36 million and Claude 0.11 million.
Across all U.S. platforms, Muse reached about 2.5 million downloads.
For comparison, Instagram had 1.6 million and ChatGPT 3.6 million over the same period.
Daily downloads topped 300,000. Daily active users, the people who open the app on a given day, reached about 557,000 as of Sept. 19.
The app also holds a 4.9-star rating across more than 25,000 reviews.
Meta Muse Is Showing Something Wall Street Was Missing
Post said early reviews show Muse’s ability to handle "multi-step tasks and workflows with limited user intervention."
That distinction matters. Chatbots answer questions. Agents increasingly perform actions.
Post said investors had been "concerned about Meta’s ability to build a differentiated AI product," but Muse’s functionality has driven greater optimism around returns on Meta’s AI investments.
Meta now has something its AI spending previously lacked: a consumer product investors can measure.
Nat Friedman, head of product at Meta Superintelligence Labs, said in an X post that Muse was built from scratch but “heavily inspired as a product by openclaw.”
Why Investors Are Rerating Meta Stock
The stock surged 11.4% on Monday, its best single-day gain since April. On Tuesday, shares traded near $750.80, up 1.3%.
Since Muse’s launch, Meta Platforms has gained over 20%.
Meta now trades at 21 times its expected 2027 earnings, up from 16 times a few months ago, according to Bank of America.
Revenue from ads, subscriptions or commissions inside Muse looks unlikely to be material before 2028, the note said.
Until then, the stock would depend on “multiple expansion, vs 2027 estimate revisions,” Post said.
In other words, investors would be paying a higher price for the same expected profits, rather than seeing those profit forecasts rise.
The next test arrives Wednesday at Meta Connect, where investors expect details on the Muse Spark model and early engagement trends.
Read Also: Amazon Blocks Meta’s Muse AI From Shopping — Elon Musk Says AMZN ‘Won’t Be Able to Tell’ Humans From Agents
Image: Shutterstock