Meta has unveiled a smaller version of its latest artificial intelligence model that can run on a personal computer, allowing users to download, customise and operate advanced AI without relying entirely on cloud-based services.

The new model, called Muse Glimmer, is a streamlined version of Meta’s larger Muse Spark 1.2 system. Designed with lower hardware requirements, it is capable of running on a single graphics card, making it accessible to a much wider audience than many of today’s high-performance AI models.

According to Meta, Muse Glimmer has been developed for productivity-focused tasks, including file organisation, scheduling and other AI assistant functions. The company will make the model available as a free download through the Hugging Face platform, with users responsible only for the computing resources required to run it.

The release reflects Meta’s long-standing commitment to open-weight AI models, where the underlying model parameters are made publicly available for developers and researchers to modify and build upon. The company also plans to release the weights for a more capable version of its Muse Spark model at a later date.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg accompanied the launch with a detailed statement arguing that powerful AI should be made widely available rather than controlled by a small number of companies. He said broader access would allow individuals to benefit directly from the technology rather than relying solely on AI services provided by businesses or governments.

The move places Meta at the centre of an ongoing debate within the technology industry over whether increasingly capable AI systems should remain open or be subject to tighter restrictions. Companies including OpenAI and Anthropic have argued that unrestricted access to advanced AI could create safety and security risks, while Meta maintains that open development encourages innovation and strengthens the broader AI ecosystem.

The discussion has become increasingly important as Chinese developers continue releasing competitive open-weight models, adding pressure on American technology companies to accelerate development while maintaining global leadership.

Meta’s latest announcement also comes as governments continue to examine how advanced AI should be regulated. In the United States, policymakers have been considering whether certain open AI models should be subject to additional oversight, although the current framework does not require mandatory government testing before release.

Alongside the software launch, Meta announced plans to establish a US$1 billion investment fund to support communities that host its data centres. The initiative is intended to help address concerns surrounding the environmental and community impact of expanding AI infrastructure.

Meta has invested heavily in artificial intelligence over recent years as competition intensifies between major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Amazon and OpenAI. The launch of Muse Glimmer signals the company’s continued strategy of making advanced AI tools available for local use rather than limiting access to cloud-based subscription services.