In Mark Zuckerberg's view, individuals lacking AI-integrated spectacles may possibly encounter a significant disadvantage in the upcoming future.
In the ever-evolving world of technology, AI-powered smart glasses are making strides towards becoming mainstream consumer products. This transformation, driven by companies like Meta, is reshaping the way we interact with technology.
Meta's Reality Labs, a division dedicated to advanced AI technologies, reported an operating loss of $4.53 billion in the second quarter. Despite the financial setback, the company's commitment to AI-powered smart glasses remains unwavering.
Meta's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses continue to lead in AI integration, featuring the 'Look and Ask' mode. This innovative technology allows the glasses to snap a photo of the user's view and use AI to interpret and respond based on that image, marking a move towards multi-modal AI interaction combining vision and speech. Rumours suggest that a next-generation model with an advanced display is expected to be announced at Meta Connect 2025, though it may come at a higher price point ($1,000).
Enhanced AI assistance and multi-modal capabilities are a major focus. Unlike earlier AI glasses that only allowed voice commands, new models like those from Meta use image recognition combined with AI chat capabilities for a more human-like comprehension and hands-free user experience.
Beyond communication and information retrieval, AI glasses are increasingly used for practical applications such as real-time translation, calorie identification, stock trend monitoring, and even payment processing by looking at price tags and confirming payments via voice.
Companies like Viture and Xreal are pushing AR display technology forward. Viture’s upcoming Beast AR specs feature Micro OLED displays and a large 58-degree field of view, while Xreal’s Project Aura promises a 70-degree field of view and Android XR compatibility, enhancing immersive experiences.
Besides Meta, other players like Oakley, Snap, and Google are advancing their products with various approaches, indicating a broader ecosystem growth and diverse hardware innovations. In markets like China, AI glasses sales have surged tenfold in early 2025 with prices dropping due to subsidies and industrial collaboration, making the technology more accessible to consumers and accelerating adoption.
However, current smart glasses still have challenges such as mediocre audio quality for music and relatively weak cameras compared to smartphones. Yet, their convenience for tasks like first-person video recording and live streaming offers unique use cases.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes smart glasses will become the main way people interact with AI. The company has already made smart glasses available in the market, such as Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses, which allow users to take photos, listen to music, and ask AI questions about what they're looking at.
Meta is investing heavily in its Reality Labs, and this dedication is evident in the strengthening of its superintelligence team with the addition of another Apple researcher. As we move towards 2025 and beyond, it's clear that the predicted trends in AI-powered smart glasses will continue to shape the tech landscape, making our interactions with technology more seamless and integrated than ever before.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant feature in Meta's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, as the 'Look and Ask' mode uses AI to interpret and respond to images. (From the third sentence)
Meta's Reality Labs, focusing on advanced AI technologies, is strengthening its superintelligence team, demonstrating the company's continued dedication to AI-powered smart glasses. (From the last sentence)
