Meta has introduced a new AI model with open weights, Muse Spark Open. The model is specifically designed for agentic workflows and programming. This follows the recent launch of Muse Wonder, a more advanced system that Meta wants to keep proprietary.
Company representative Alexandr Wang stated that for reasons related to security and performance, Meta generally does not open source its most advanced technology. However, the company does want to continue offering high quality open alternatives, according to Bloomberg.
The new model is accessible via Google Cloud Model Garden, Amazon SageMaker AI and Hugging Face, and is also hosted by Nebius, a Dutch company that receives substantial investment from Meta. Although Muse Wonder is positioned as a frontier-level model, Meta has not provided any performance data on it, keeping it closed.
Muse Spark Open is the second open model in the Muse series; in August Meta already launched Glimmer, a 30-billion-parameter version derived from Muse Spark. Meta released that model under an Apache 2.0 licence. In collaboration with Apple, the company optimised Glimmer for M5 Ultra Mac Studios.
This strategic decision aligns with the legal framework of the European AI Act. Article 53 provides for certain exemptions from documentation requirements for truly open-source models, provided they do not pose systemic risks.
If a model is deemed systemically risky, all legal requirements apply, regardless of the licence. This approach contrasts with recent remarks by Mark Zuckerberg on the Sources podcast, in which he suggested it could be dangerous if competitors keep their most powerful models secret.
Tensions between Meta and European regulators persist. The European Commission can impose fines of up to 3% of a company’s global turnover. It can also require pre-release assessments.
Meta has refused to sign the official code of conduct for this regulation, with Joel Kaplan previously suggesting that the EU’s regulatory approach was flawed.
Wang expects open source AI to dominate the sector. In his view, the centre of gravity of that development must remain in the United States. He expects developers in China to use Muse Spark Open and sees the adoption of its core principles by foreign entities as a positive outcome.
Meanwhile, the European market has responded with a powerhouse of its own; Mistral has released Large 4, a trillion-parameter model aimed at challenging Chinese dominance in the open-weight sector.
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