Facebook parent company, Meta Platforms is set to launch its annual Connect conference on 25th September at its California headquarters, where it is expected to showcase its first augmented reality (AR) glasses and reveal updates to its virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) products.
Among the AI updates, Meta is planning to introduce an audio upgrade for its chatbot, which will allow users to choose from a selection of voices, including those of celebrities such as Judi Dench and John Cena. This feature aims to enhance Meta’s chatbot, which competes with products like ChatGPT.
The unveiling of the AR glasses has been a focal point of CEO, Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy since 2021, when he shifted Meta’s focus towards developing metaverse systems. However, the AR project has faced technical challenges, with Meta’s Reality Labs division acknowledging last year that a commercially viable product was still years away.
Meta has invested heavily in its AI, AR, and metaverse initiatives, pouring billions of dollars into these technologies. As a result, the company has forecast record capital expenditures for 2024, projected to reach between $37 billion and $40 billion. Despite the investments, Meta’s Reality Labs division reported losses of $8.3 billion in the first half of this year, following a $16 billion loss in 2023.
According to sources familiar with the project, the first generation of Meta’s AR glasses will be distributed internally and to a select group of developers, with each device reportedly costing tens of thousands of dollars to produce. Meta aims to release a consumer version of the glasses by 2027, after anticipated technical breakthroughs reduce production costs.
While Meta has not commented directly on these plans, Zuckerberg hinted at their progress during a live podcast recording, stating that the company was “pretty close to being able to show off the first prototype.”
In the meantime, Meta has found success with its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, a collaborative product with EssilorLuxottica. Enhanced by AI-powered digital assistants, these camera-equipped glasses have become one of the leading AI wearables on the market. The CEO of EssilorLuxottica recently confirmed that the latest generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses sold more units in a few months than the previous version did in two years. Market analysts estimate that over 700,000 pairs have been shipped since the update.
Meta has extended its partnership with EssilorLuxottica, leading to speculation that the upcoming AR glasses may also carry the Ray-Ban name. The next generation of the smart glasses is expected to feature a viewfinder capable of displaying text and images through the lenses, along with continuous software updates to enhance AI capabilities.
