Meta's long-awaited AI model is finally here. But can it make money?

Meta has released Muse Spark, its first new AI model after spending billions on hiring and infrastructure, but faces pressure to prove it can generate revenue from AI like competitors OpenAI and Google have done. The company is shifting from open-source models (like its previous Llama family) to a proprietary approach, planning to charge developers for API (application programming interface, a way for software to request data or services from other software) access after an initial preview period. Analysts believe Meta's real advantage lies not in competing with other AI labs for developers, but in using the model to improve its core business: advertising to the 3 billion monthly users of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.