MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Meta on Wednesday announced updates to its virtual reality headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses, artificial intelligence Greater capabilities and the next generation of computing platforms beyond smartphones and computers.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg also unveiled a prototype called “Orion,” which he called “the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen.”
“The technical challenges to build this are enormous,” Zuckerberg told a crowd of developers and journalists at Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. First, the holographic augmented reality glasses must be glasses, not bulky headsets. They must have no wires and weigh less than 100 grams (3.5 ounces), among other criteria. In addition to voice, typing and gesture interaction, Orion will have a “wrist-based neural interface,” allowing signals to be sent from the brain to the device using a wristband that converts neural signals into digital commands.
Orion doesn’t have a release date yet, but Zuckerberg called it a “glimpse into the future.”
Speaking to a cheering crowd, Zuckerberg seemed to be in his element, saying Meta is working to “bring the future to everyone” with headsets, glasses and AI systems. As part of an update to the Llama model, you’ll be able to talk to and interact with the Meta AI using the voices of celebrities like John Cena, Judi Dench and Awkwafina.
“We’re building a future that’s more open, more accessible, more natural and more focused on human connection,” Zuckerberg said. “This is a continuation of the values and ideas that we bring to the apps and technology we’ve built over Meta’s first 20 years.”
The AI update for influencers now lets them create an AI version of themselves to interact with their fans. During the keynote stage, an AI version of creator Don Allen Stevenson III appeared on screen and answered some questions just like the real creator. When Zuckerberg asked the AI creator about raising cows, the AI creator replied, “My specialty is technology and design, not agriculture.” The previous version of the tool was text-only.
Other AI updates include live translation, which Zuckerberg demonstrated on stage while wearing smart glasses and speaking to Mexican mixed martial artist Brandon Moreno in English, who responded in Spanish. The conversation was translated in real time. Videos can also be dubbed into other languages to make them appear to speak at a native level, even altering lip movements.
Meta AI now claims to have 500 million users, a figure that research firm Emarketer’s Jeremy Goldman called “staggering.”
“Meta has transformed from just a social media company into an AI powerhouse, and Zuckerberg’s inclusion of celebrity testimonials isn’t just for fun, it’s a direct challenge to OpenAI with an emphasis on real-world utility,” Goldman said.
Meta, which announced the Quest 3 last year, also showed off a cheaper version of the VR goggles, the 3S, which will cost $299. The regular Quest 3 will cost $499. The S3 will start shipping on October 15th.
“Meta is aggressively lowering its prices. Apple’s Vision Pro “We’re going to corner the mid-range AR/VR market,” Goldman said. The VR goggles, which launched to much anticipation earlier this year, cost $3,500.
While VR goggles have grabbed more headlines, the AR Ray-Bans have been a hidden hit for Meta. The company doesn’t release sales numbers, but Zuckerberg said on Meta’s July earnings call that the glasses “continue to be a big hit faster than we expected, thanks in part to AI.” Zuckerberg said Wednesday that Meta appears to have gotten over the supply issues that plagued Ray-Ban a few months ago due to high demand.
“This is the perfect form factor for AI,” Zuckerberg said, adding that the glasses would allow an AI assistant to “see what you see and hear what you hear” to help you with your daily life.
For example, you could ask your glasses to remind you where you parked your car, help you buy groceries, look through a pile of fruit to come up with a smoothie recipe, or help you pick out an outfit for a party.
Meta, which changed its name from Facebook in 2021, still derives almost all of its revenue from advertising — in the most recent quarter, 98% of its more than $39 billion in revenue came from advertising — but it’s also investing heavily in AI and in what Zuckerberg sees as the next generation of computing platforms, including virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses.
“Contrary to Meta’s claims, VR headsets will never go mainstream,” said Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester. “They’re cumbersome and people only have a short tolerance for them.”
Glasses, on the other hand, “put computing power directly into a common, familiar form factor. As the smart technology behind these glasses matures, it has the potential to disrupt how consumers interact with brands on a daily basis.”
Proulx said the Orion prototype “sets the stage for a future where revolutionary 3D computing platforms are within reach and of real use to everyday consumers.”
