MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Meta on Wednesday unveiled updates to the company’s virtual reality headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses as it touts its artificial intelligence capabilities and the next generation of computing platforms beyond smartphones and computers. Tries to demonstrate race.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg also showed off the Orion, a prototype he called “the most advanced glasses in the world ever.”
Zuckerberg told a crowd of developers and journalists at Meta’s Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters that the technical challenges to building them are insane. Holographic augmented reality glasses, for one, need to be glasses — not a giant headset. There are no wires and they must weigh less than 100 grams (3.5 ounces), among other things. And in addition to interacting with your voice, typing or hand gestures, the Orion has a “wrist-based neural interface” — it lets you send signals from your brain to the device, using a wrist that’s neural. Translates signals into digital commands.
Orion has no release date — Zuckerberg called it a “glimpse of the future.”
Speaking to an apparently cheering crowd, Zuckerberg said the Meta is working to “bring the future to everyone” with its headsets, glasses and AI systems. As part of an update to its Llama model, people will now be able to interact with the voices of celebrities such as John Cena, Judi Dench and Awkwafina, by speaking with Meta AI.
“We’re trying to create a future that’s more open, more accessible, more natural and more about human connection,” Zuckerberg said. “It’s a continuation of the values and ideals we’ve brought to the apps and technology we’ve built over Meta’s first 20 years.”
An AI update aimed at influencers allows them to create AI versions of themselves to interact with fans. On the key stage, an AI version of creator Don Allen Stevenson III appeared on screen and answered some questions just as the original creator would. When Zuckerberg asked the AI creator about raising cattle, he replied, “My expertise is in technology and design, not agriculture.” The old version of this tool was text only.
Other AI updates include live translation, which Zuckerberg demonstrated on stage. While wearing the smart glasses, Zuckerberg spoke to Mexican mixed martial artist Brandon Moreno in English and responded in Spanish – the conversation was translated in real time. People can even dub their videos into another language to make it sound like they’re speaking natively – even changing their lip movements to match.
MetaAI now has 500 million users, the company said. Jeremy Goldman of research firm Emarketer called the number “jaw-dropping.”
“Meta has transformed from just a social media company into an AI powerhouse. Zuckerberg’s move to celebrity voices isn’t just for fun — it’s a direct challenge to OpenAI, with real-world The emphasis is on efficiency,” Goldman said.
Meta, which introduced 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 costs $499. The S3 will start shipping on October 15.
“Meta is aggressively undercutting Apple’s Vision Pro to dominate the mid-range AR/VR market,” Goldman said. The VR goggles, which debuted earlier this year after much anticipation, cost $3,500.
While VR goggles have grabbed more headlines, augmented reality proved to be a sleeper hit for the Ray-Ban’s Meta. The company hasn’t disclosed sales numbers, but Zuckerberg said during Meta’s July earnings call that the glasses “continue to hit harder than we expected — thanks in part to AI.”Zuckerberg said Wednesday that Metta appears to have resolved the supply issues that plagued Ray-Ban’s a few months ago due to high demand.
“They’re the perfect form factor for AI,” Zuckerberg said. He added that Glasses, an AI assistant, “sees what you see, hears what you hear” and helps you go about your day. help
For example, you can ask the glass to remind you where you parked or get groceries, look at the fruit stack and come up with a smoothie recipe, or help you pick out a party dress. help the
Meta — which changed its name from Facebook in 2021 — still makes almost all of its money from advertising. In its most recent quarter, 98% of its more than $39 billion in revenue came from advertising. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in AI and what Zuckerberg sees as the next generation of computing platforms such as VR headsets and AR glasses.
“VR headsets, despite Meta’s claims, will not go mainstream,” said Forrester research director Mike Proulx. “They are very cumbersome, and people can only tolerate them in short bursts.”
Glasses, on the other hand, “put computing power directly into a common and familiar form factor. As the smart tech behind these glasses matures, they have the potential to disrupt everyday consumer interactions with brands.” is
Proulx said the Orion prototype “sets the stage for a future where a revolutionary 3D computing platform is within reach and can actually be useful for everyday users.”
