Meta unveils Muse Code AI agent to rival Codex and Claude Code
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Meta has released Muse Code, a terminal-based AI coding agent that can carry out software engineering tasks across large code repositories, in an effort to catch up with rivals in the crowded AI coding assistant market. Currently in beta and installable with a single command, the tool is designed to plan changes, write code and validate results, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg positioning it as a direct challenger to OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code.
The agent runs on Meta's existing Muse Spark coding model and, for larger jobs, splits work across sub-agents operating simultaneously in isolated "worktrees" that leave the user's main copy untouched; Zuckerberg said a test saw it build six game features in parallel without conflicts. Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang told the Wall Street Journal the tool could be especially compelling on cost grounds for many workflows. The launch follows Meta's broader push into enterprise AI, including a June expansion into customer service agents, as the company invests heavily to close the gap with competitors it has trailed in the "AI harnesses" space.
- Meta launches Muse Code, a beta AI coding agent for large repos
- Splits big jobs across parallel sub-agents in isolated worktrees
- Aims to rival OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code on cost
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Muse Code is a new artificial intelligence tool from Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, that is designed to help write and fix computer programs. It works from a command line rather than a visual app, and can plan out changes, write the code itself, and check that the results work, all with limited human input. Meta has released it in a test, or "beta", version.
The tool enters a market already led by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and Anthropic, which makes the Claude chatbot, both of which have their own AI coding assistants called Codex and Claude Code respectively. Meta has been seen as behind in this area, and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, along with AI chief Alexandr Wang, have been promoting Muse Code as a serious rival on capability and cost.
The launch matters because AI tools that can write software are increasingly seen as central to the future of the technology industry, potentially changing how programmers work and how much software costs to build. Meta's move is part of a wider effort by the company to expand its AI offerings for businesses, following earlier steps such as tools for automated customer service.
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Originally published by TechCrunch as “Meta launches Muse Code, an AI agent for large code bases”.