For most of its history, Meta was a social media company, generating revenue through ads shown to billions of people on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. That model remains a huge success and helped Meta end 2025 with a market capitalization of $1.7 trillion. But now, in 2026, Meta is pushing further into the AI market.
Second-quarter revenue rose 28% to $60.8 billion. Its artificial intelligence group launched Muse Spark in April, an improvement on the prior Llama 4. Then in September, Meta launched an agentic version of Muse that handles email, payments, and health tasks.
Meta’s stock soared, rising 25% in September alone. But now, on September 30, the last day of the month, the gains driven by the hype around Muse are being threatened. For weeks, leaks and signs had pointed to OpenAI building a similar model.
Two days ago, that became official with the launch of a new agent called Dots, which works in the same area as Muse. For weeks, it was only speculation. But now it is real, and investors are pulling back amid fears of competition from OpenAI. Why would a customer integrate Muse into their workflow when they can simply upgrade their current OpenAI plan and have their data seamlessly transition to Dots?
That question gets at OpenAI’s biggest advantage: it already has the customers. Millions of people and businesses use ChatGPT every day, and Dots is built right into it. Users don’t have to download a new app or learn a new system. They just upgrade, and their dot is ready to work.
Dots also goes further than anything on the market so far. Powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-6 Astra model, each dot has its own cloud computer and browser, connects to over 4,000 apps, and works on a user’s goals 24/7. It can run several projects at once and learns how its user thinks over time. The more someone works with their dot, the harder it becomes to switch to a competitor.
Most importantly, OpenAI is going where the work happens. Dots can be reached through ChatGPT, Slack, and Teams, and OpenAI is already previewing “specialist” dots. This version can take on defined roles inside companies, and connect to their internal systems while running on company-issued hardware. Long-term, OpenAI envisions teams of dots working together. That is a direct push into the workplace, a market Meta has never owned.
Still, Meta has advantages OpenAI does not. Its apps reached 3.6 billion daily users in June, and Muse is built directly into them for free. Dots, for now, is rolling out only to paid Pro, Business Premium, and Enterprise plans, and it is built mainly for work rather than everyday life.
For now, the race is on. September showed how quickly investors reward Meta’s AI progress. October may show how quickly they punish it.
