The Wall Street Journal

Meta launches Muse Code AI coding agent

Meta released Muse Code (beta) on August 5, 2026 — a terminal-installable, single-command tool that coordinates multi-agent coding workflows across repositories while leaving the user’s working copy untouched. It runs on Muse Spark 1.2 (two variants), available inside Muse Code and via the Meta Model API with pay-as-you-go access. Muse Code launches parallel sub-agents in isolated worktrees, runs persistent background agents that resume after crashes, can access local files, GitHub and the web, and logs model calls, tool use, approvals and changes locally; integrated skills include /plan, /grill and /goal. Pricing includes a lower-cost Contributor tier (data opt-in for model training) and a private tier that disallows training, and Meta accepts zero-data-retention enterprise requests. Mark Zuckerberg announced the launches as part of a developer-tools push.

APAC Social Commerce Resists US AI Content Flood

Agency leaders at ATS Singapore and industry commentators argue that while AI is scaling production and operational efficiency for creator commerce, Southeast Asia’s social commerce remains fundamentally human-led due to trust, live interaction, and local buying behaviour. The Wall Street Journal reported AI-generated videos flooding TikTok Shop in the US and at least one brand, SharkNinja, banned AI content; panelists say that trajectory is less pronounced in Southeast Asia where live selling, dialogue, and demonstrations drive conversion. Experts from Omnicom Media and Brainlabs say AI will more likely assist sellers (product intelligence, scripts, localisation, testing) than immediately replace trusted hosts, though lower-tier creators could be squeezed by convincing synthetic content. Brainlabs’ Bytesights shows a rising but not explosive volume of AI-tagged content across Asia. Panelists recommend outcome-focused governance and commercial incentives for verified human-hosted content.

Walmart completes acquisition of Vibe.co

Walmart announced on August 4, 2026 that it completed its acquisition of Vibe.co, a five-year-old adtech startup founded in 2021 that provides self-service software for buying streaming TV ads. The Wall Street Journal reported the deal was valued at $1.4 billion. Vibe.co’s platform, used chiefly by small- and midsize brands, will be integrated into Walmart Connect to expand the retailer’s connected TV (CTV) advertising capabilities, make streaming campaigns more measurable and accessible, and support Walmart’s push to build an ad-supported streaming business that can compete for TV ad budgets (including versus Amazon). The acquisition follows Walmart’s 2024 purchase of TV maker Vizio, part of a broader strategy to strengthen its advertising and streaming offerings.