Meta unveiled a new range of AI-powered wearables on Wednesday, including audio-only smart glasses without cameras, as concerns grow worldwide over privacy and the unauthorised filming of women and girls.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new products at the social media giant’s annual Connect conference at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, where he also promoted the company’s new personal artificial intelligence assistant, Muse.
“There are almost 2 billion people in the world who wear glasses today… and we think that in the coming years, most of these are going to get upgraded to AI glasses,” Zuckerberg told an audience of developers and executives.
Muse will be “the centerpiece of our vision”, he said.
The audio-only glasses will go on sale on October 13, starting at $349. Their launch comes amid growing concerns about privacy risks posed by miniature cameras embedded in glasses and other wearable devices, which critics have dubbed “pervert glasses”.
Meta’s smart glasses allow users to take photos and videos, listen to music, make phone calls, translate text and interact with an AI assistant.
The camera-free models will complement dozens of new smart-glasses variants that retain photo and video capabilities.
Vishal Shah, Meta’s vice president of AI products, said privacy safeguards, including a recording-indicator light, were essential.
“We wanted people to clearly understand that this was something that was recording, and we’ve only made that light more explicit over time,” Shah told AFP.
“We said a lot about that when the glasses first launched, and I think we probably need to keep repeating that more than we have been more recently because none of that’s changed,” he added.
With nearly four billion monthly active users across its platforms, Meta is betting that wearables such as smart glasses can provide an accessible way for consumers to interact with its AI software.
Meta launched its first smart glasses in 2021 and last year introduced “display” glasses capable of projecting images onto the lenses.
Earlier this year, the company launched its own Meta-branded AI glasses, alongside models developed through its partnership with eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, which produces several Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta models.
Meta also announced new styles of its flagship Meta Ray-Ban glasses. The display-equipped version, priced from $799, will soon be available in additional markets, including Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Canada.
The company also plans to launch lighter mixed-reality glasses designed to be more comfortable than its earlier Quest virtual-reality headsets.
Called Meta VR Glasses, the device will use an external battery and memory pack connected by a cable, allowing the headset itself to be lighter.
Zuckerberg said the glasses weigh about as much as a deck of cards.
The device has no external controls and instead relies on hand gestures and voice commands.
The Meta VR Glasses are expected to launch in spring 2027 at a starting price of $1,299.
Meta muse
Meta has invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence as it seeks to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving sector, while facing growing scrutiny over the impact of its products.
The new glasses are designed to work with Muse, the company’s first agentic consumer app, which is intended to perform tasks on users’ behalf as a digital personal assistant.
After users connect personal accounts, including financial, health and shopping services, Muse can be used to sign up for services, book appointments and make calls.
Meta said the Muse app became the top free application on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini.
Zuckerberg also previewed another device, the Muse Charm, which is expected to ship before the end-of-year holidays. Meta did not disclose its price.
The small, puck-shaped device will feature a display and allow users to interact with their Muse agent without using a smartphone.
Amazon this week blocked Meta from using AI bots to automatically shop on its platform, while Instacart, Shopify and Expedia have announced partnerships to integrate their services with Muse.
Meta said Walmart, Best Buy, Gap and Sephora are also partnering with the app.
The company, which generates most of its revenue from advertising on Instagram and Facebook, is facing mounting scrutiny over child safety and privacy.
In August, Meta settled a lawsuit brought by US states alleging violations of consumer protection and children’s online privacy laws. The company agreed to pay up to $18 billion and accept restrictions concerning teenagers.
Meta also faces age-based restrictions and bans in some countries, as well as thousands of potential personal injury lawsuits in the United States.
AFP
