Babyfolio
Software Engineer, AI Infrastructure Investor
AI agents such as Muse, Dot and Instinct are a huge opportunity for Meta, Alphabet and the AI labs, because the more capable they become, the more tasks they take off people's hands. Dot uploaded expenses and generated customer invoices on a portal it had never seen, with no guidance; agents could also handle recurring shopping, trip booking, insurance paperwork, subscription cancellations and refunds. The entire AI infrastructure chain benefits too. x.comÂ
Meta's advertising is less vulnerable to AI agents and LLMs because users must scroll Instagram themselves. AI may even give them more time to do so, while Meta retains other mega-caps' AI tailwinds; it remains the best AI stock. CapEx is still a problem. As @diyinvestor1 noted, Meta also has no exposure to OpenAI or Anthropic. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Meta's ability to push its products to consumers through Facebook and Instagram at almost zero marginal cost is unmatched, and it is already turning Meta AI into an everyday tool. An electrician and a plumber both use Meta AI rather than ChatGPT or Gemini, one to identify a smart-toilet part on the job and the other as a search engine in conversation. Penetration outside the US, especially in Latin America, is likely even greater. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Google's search is becoming less profitable as AI agents disrupt its core business. Even perfect execution could make the transition painful, and Google is famously poor at new products. Its conduct over the past decade also raises stronger ethical objections than Meta's. Despite strong fundamentals, explosive cloud growth, no real risk and substantial growth ahead, Alphabet is unattractive relative to most other major AI companies. x.comÂ
Meta's Instagram and Facebook stand to gain ad dollars as Google Search erodes because attention is shifting to quasi-entertainment platforms with authentic reach at scale. That shift is already starting and should continue: more time on Meta's platforms can attract more advertisers, accelerating both sides of the flywheel. Meta Muse offers another opportunity to use the platforms' personalized insights for results involving tasks, queries and transactions. x.comÂ
Meta's data edge and poaching of top talent support its in-house AI development against rivals buying projects to integrate. Only Google matches its data; Anthropic and OpenAI cannot really compete without funding. Meta is taking some of Google's ad share, which should reduce Google's free cash flow. x.comÂ
Alphabet's search business will inevitably be cannibalized by AI, and search is its core advertising revenue driver. Google can pivot, but Meta will always have social networks people depend on to feel connected, making Meta the easier choice. x.comÂ
Meta's focus on personal and knowledge work makes its $5T consumer-AI path easier to see because those are the tasks its agent must handle. Its company-designed index scores Wonder Full at 59.1 versus 55.2 for the next best model shown, though such benchmarks warrant caution. Ads can subsidize Muse usage across Meta's apps and glasses. Monetizing intent depends on retention and real-world task completion; computer use, healthcare and some coding remain weak. x.comÂ
AI embedded throughout software could bring huge future token spend to Amazon and Alphabet, whose AWS and GCP clouds host software builders and offer AI platforms. Ramp data show VC-backed firms spend 10 times more per employee on AI monthly than PE-owned and other firms, a possible leading indicator of software using more tokens relative to people. VC-driven demand is vulnerable to capital-cycle swings, but longer term incumbent software may become AI-native or be replaced. x.comÂ
Meta's hundreds of billions in AI investment have produced Muse, a free, largely undifferentiated personal assistant app that will likely never generate economics. Muse topped app-store downloads and helped fuel a two-day gamma squeeze mostly because it is new and free. Amazon has already cut it off from shopping its site, and once the novelty fades it will probably see little use given its limited utility; people actually like doing their own shopping. x.comÂ
Meta's established consumer distribution could give Muse an advantage in bringing AI agents to everyday users. The stock looks increasingly constructive heading into tomorrow's earnings. Muse has 10 million downloads, while Meta's apps reach billions and its ad network connects millions of businesses. If agents become a consumer interface for discovery and transactions, the economics could extend into commerce, advertising and business services. x.comÂ
