On Wednesday, Meta unveiled several new wearables powered by its AI models, including an audio-only, camera-free version of its smart glasses. This launch comes amid global concerns about privacy and the filming of women and girls without their consent. The new glasses will ship on October 13 and start at $349. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new lineup of glasses at the social media giant's annual Connect conference at its Menlo Park headquarters.
The audio-only glasses will complement the release of dozens of new smart glasses models that keep the photo and video filming option. Meta's vice president of AI product, Vishal Shah, emphasized the importance of building in privacy features such as a recording indicator light. Shah stated that the company wanted people to clearly understand that the device was recording and has made the light more explicit over time.
Meta launched its first smart glasses in 2021, and last year unveiled "display" glasses that project images onto the lens. Earlier this year, the company released its own Meta-branded AI glasses, separate from its partnership with eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, which produces several Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta models. The company also announced several new styles of its flagship Meta Ray-Ban glasses.
The display version of the glasses, priced from $799, will soon be available in new markets including Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Canada. Meta also announced that it will soon launch mixed reality glasses that are much lighter than its earlier Quest VR headsets. The new VR Glasses, powered by an external battery and memory pack tethered by a cord, will allow the headset itself to be lighter.
Zuckerberg stated that there are almost 2 billion people in the world who wear glasses today, and the company thinks that in the coming years, most of these will get upgraded to AI glasses. He also introduced the company's new personal artificial intelligence assistant, Muse, which will be the centerpiece of Meta's vision. Muse performs tasks on users' behalf like a digital personal assistant.
The Muse app became the top free app in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, overtaking OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini. Meta also announced the Muse Charm, a small, puck-like device with a display that will allow users to interact with their Muse agent separately from a smartphone. The charm will ship ahead of the holidays this year.
Meta faces mounting child safety and privacy challenges worldwide. In August, it settled a lawsuit brought by US states accusing it of violating consumer protection and children's online privacy laws, agreeing to pay up to $18 billion and impose restrictions for teenagers. The company also faces age-based restrictions and bans abroad, as well as thousands of potential personal injury suits in the US.
Key points
- Meta unveils camera-free AI glasses starting at $349
- The company introduces new wearable devices and AI assistant Muse
- Meta faces growing concerns about privacy and child safety worldwide
