Meta CEO Unveils New AI Products: Smart Glasses, Virtual Reality Headset, and Meta AI Assistant
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, held its annual Meta Connect conference where CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a range of new AI products for consumers. These products aim to bridge the gap between virtual and real worlds, offering innovative solutions at affordable prices or even for free.
One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of the new generation of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. Priced at $299, they will start shipping on October 17. These smart glasses will come equipped with a Meta AI assistant and will have the capability to livestream what users see directly to Facebook and Instagram, surpassing the previous generation’s limited ability to capture photos.
In addition, Meta introduced an updated version of its popular Quest mixed-reality headset, which is set to be released on October 10. This new headset will incorporate Meta’s first consumer-facing generative AI products, including the Meta AI chatbot. This chatbot can generate both text responses and photo-realistic images, enhancing the interactive experience for users.
Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the company’s commitment to affordability and accessibility, stating, Sometimes we innovate by releasing something that’s never been seen before, but sometimes we innovate by taking something that is awesome, but super expensive, and making it so it can be affordable for everyone or even free. This statement was seen as a direct reference to the forthcoming release of a much costlier VR headset from Apple.
The Meta AI assistant will be integrated into the smart glasses as a beta rollout in the United States, with a software update planned for next year. This update will provide the assistant with the ability to identify places and objects, as well as perform language translation.
Meta developed the Meta AI using its own custom model based on the powerful Llama 2 large language model, which was released for public commercial use in July. The chatbot will have real-time access to information through a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing search engine.
Meta also revealed plans to create a platform for developers and individuals to create custom AI bots of their own. These bots will have profiles on Instagram and Facebook and will eventually appear as avatars in the metaverse, Meta’s vision of shared virtual spaces.
While these new AI products generate excitement among consumers, Meta’s CEO made it clear that monetization of AI products may not happen for the company in the near future. Meta’s focus seems to be on developing a platform that other developers will use.
The announcements made at the Meta Connect conference reflect Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy to shift investor attention towards artificial intelligence amid the growing interest in augmented and virtual reality technologies. The conference was a significant event for Meta as it was the company’s first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic.
Overall, the new AI products showcased by Meta aim to bring virtual and real worlds closer together, offering consumers affordable and innovative solutions. With the release of smart glasses, an updated virtual-reality headset, and a generative AI assistant, Meta is positioning itself at the forefront of the AI industry, catering to the demands of tech enthusiasts and everyday users alike.
