Meta focuses on smart glasses with AI power

Meta is expanding its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with a range of impressive AI-driven upgrades. These innovations, including the ability to conduct continuous conversations with Meta's AI as well as translation between different languages, underscore Meta's commitment to developing interactive technologies. Owners of Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the USA and Canada, who are part of the early access program, can now download the v11 firmware update. This update introduces the "Live AI," allowing wearers to continuously interact with Meta's AI assistant, Meta AI. A notable feature is that no activation word is necessary to integrate the AI into an ongoing conversation. Moreover, the Live AI is also combined with real-time video. Wearers can ask questions about what they are currently seeing – from the immediate environment to detailed aspects within their field of view. This capability was a focal point of the Meta Connect developer conference in the fall and positions itself as a direct response to competing technologies like OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode and Google's Project Astra. With the introduction of this update, Meta positions itself as one of the first tech giants to offer real-time AI video on smart glasses. However, Meta is not the only player: Google also has plans to sell AR glasses with similar features, but with no specific timelines. Another highlight of firmware v11 is the live translation, allowing spoken language to be translated in real-time between English and Spanish, French, or Italian. The spoken foreign language is directly output in English through the glasses' speakers and displayed as text on the paired phone. With current support from Shazam, the command "Hey, Meta, Shazam this song" can be used to identify a specific piece of music. However, Meta also acknowledges that these technologies are still in their learning and adaptation phase. "We are continuously working to improve the experience for everyone," stated a company blog post. In addition to their technological advancements, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are also celebrating sales success. In October, Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica reported that the glasses brand is particularly in demand in 60% of Ray-Ban stores in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.