Open Source vs Closed AI Hardware, Layer by Layer

Open source vs closed AI hardware is not a yes-or-no question. Every AI gadget has layers: the board design, the firmware, the SDK, the cloud service and the agent itself, and each one can be open or closed on its own. In Muse Gadgets, Meta publishes the device firmware and SDKs under the Apache 2.0 license, the boards come from other companies, and the Muse service and its access tokens stay under Meta's control.

What "open source hardware" means

The Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) defines it this way: "Open source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make, and sell the design or hardware based on that design." The full definition has 12 criteria, including documentation, necessary software, derived works, free redistribution and attribution.

OSHWA also runs a certification. It is self-certification under a license agreement that lets a maker use the Open Source Hardware Certification logo, and it lasts one year before it is reaffirmed.

By that standard, "open" means design files you can build from. Some products called open publish only their software and firmware. That is narrower, not dishonest. When you see the word, check which layer it covers.

The five layers of an AI gadget

1. Board hardware and schematics

For Muse gadgets, the boards are off-the-shelf products. Meta's page says they "are made and sold by other companies, and Meta doesn't endorse or warrant them." Whether a board's schematics are published depends on its maker, so check the vendor's page. Some go all the way: Home Assistant advertises its Voice Preview Edition as "Fully open software, firmware, and hardware."

2. Firmware

Meta's Muse device firmware is open source under Apache 2.0, with listed exceptions: minimp3 is CC0-1.0, pixel_font.c is BSD-2-Clause, and "The Apache License does not cover the Jollybot avatar." Muse builds never turn on Secure Boot, "so you can reflash your board as often as you like." Flashing Muse replaces the vendor's firmware, so back up first where the SDK says to.

3. SDK and developer code

The ESP32 and Linux SDKs live in Meta's public muse-gadget-sdk repository, each with a README and an AGENTS.md for coding agents. Apache 2.0 grants a "perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license" to reproduce, modify and distribute the code, commercial use included, as long as you keep the license and notices and mark changed files.

4. Cloud service and access

This is where Muse Gadgets is closed. Every gadget needs an SDK token to pair, and tokens sit under separate terms: "personal, non-commercial use," no more than 50 devices per token, and no token in a device you sell or list on a marketplace. Meta can revoke a token, and "The source code license does not grant any right to Gadget SDK Tokens." You can fork and sell the code, but not a Muse-connected device, without Meta's written permission.

5. The agent itself

Muse is Meta's personal AI agent, powered by its Muse Spark model, and it runs as Meta's service. The SDK connects your device to it; it does not include it. Muse replies arrive as text, and spoken replies need your own text-to-speech API, hooked in at start_tts in the firmware source.

Open source vs closed AI hardware: what is open where

Layer	Muse Gadgets	hackshop	A typical closed gadget
Board design	Third-party boards; depends on the maker	Recommends boards, does not make them	Closed
Firmware	Open, Apache 2.0, with listed exceptions	Not applicable	Closed, updated by the vendor
SDK and code	Open, Apache 2.0	Planner, MCP server and board catalog open under MIT	None, or a limited API
Cloud and access	Meta's service; revocable, non-commercial tokens	Hosted MCP server, or run the npm package yourself	Vendor's service and account
Agent	Muse, run by Meta	Your choice of agent that speaks MCP	Vendor's assistant

What hackshop opens, and what it does not

hackshop is free and open source. Its code, including the build planner, the MCP server and the board catalog, is public on GitHub under the MIT license. Your agent can use the hosted MCP server at https://www.hackshop.dev/mcp or run the hackshop-mcp npm package locally. The printable desk stands on build pages, such as the Waveshare round AMOLED build, come as STL and STEP files you can print anywhere.

hackshop does not change what Meta opens or keeps closed. Your gadget still needs Meta's SDK token under Meta's terms. hackshop does not make boards, and it never buys anything without your OK. Agents can read agents.md for how to use it.

The tradeoffs: control, longevity, support, polish and security

Control

Open firmware and SDKs let you add sensors, change the screen, write commands and choose your own speech service. The Linux SDK includes a shell command, and its README is blunt: "If it can use sudo, so can Muse." Control comes with responsibility.

Longevity

Closed devices live and die with their company. The Humane AI Pin shut down on February 28, 2025, after HP bought Humane's assets for $116 million, and its AI queries, calls and texts stopped working. Open firmware protects the hardware, not the service. If Meta withdrew Muse tokens, your gadget would lose its Muse link, but you could reflash the board for another project.

Support

Closed products usually come with a warranty. Meta says the SDK and tokens "are not a supported product and not a developer platform," and the code is "provided as-is, without warranty." Plan on helping yourself, with your agent and the community.

Polish

A closed product is designed as one object. A DIY build has rough edges. You may want a printed stand, and a refresh on the six-color reTerminal E1002 "takes about 30 seconds and flashes."

Security updates

A closed vendor pushes updates to you until it stops. With open firmware, you pull updates and reflash; Muse's over-the-air updates are off by default except on boards with the full UI. Pairing "has no manufacturer verification and can't prevent an active man-in-the-middle attack," so set it up on a network you trust. Treat the token "as an identifier rather than a password," and turn on NVS encryption, as the README strongly recommends. Meta also says never to enable Secure Boot or flash encryption on a board you want to keep reflashing. Easy to reflash means easy for anyone holding the board to reflash, too.

How to choose

Want to change how the device behaves? You need open firmware and an open SDK.
Want to make your own boards? You need open design files, the layer OSHWA certifies.
Accept a closed layer where it buys you something. Muse runs as Meta's service, which is why a $21.50 board can talk to it.
Read the terms of every closed layer. For Muse, that means the 50-device cap, no selling and revocable tokens.
Prefer hardware you can repurpose. A board you can reflash outlives any one service.

To compare boards by what they can do, see the Muse board guide.

Questions people ask

Is Muse Gadgets open source hardware?

Partly. Meta calls it "open source hardware for your Muse," and the device SDKs and firmware are open source under Apache 2.0. The boards are made by other companies, and connecting to Muse needs an SDK token under separate, non-commercial terms. Whether the board designs are public depends on each maker.

Can I sell a gadget I build with the Muse SDK?

Not as a Muse-connected device without Meta's prior written permission. The terms bar a token in any device you sell, advertise or list on a marketplace, and cap a token at 50 devices. The Apache 2.0 code itself can be used commercially.

Is hackshop open source?

Yes. hackshop is free, and its code, including the planner, MCP server and board catalog, is on GitHub under the MIT license. You can use the hosted MCP server or run the hackshop-mcp npm package yourself.

Is open source hardware more secure than closed hardware?

Not automatically. Open code can be reviewed and patched, but you are the one applying updates. Muse pairing, for example, cannot stop an active man-in-the-middle attack, so Meta says to set it up on a network you trust. Closed devices get updates only while the vendor keeps shipping them.

Sources

Prices and details checked October 5, 2026.