Meta unveils AI assistant, Facebook-streaming glasses

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reveals new AI products for consumers at the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California. These products include photo-realistic image bots, smart glasses with improved livestreaming capabilities, and an updated virtual-reality headset.

Zuckerberg highlights the integration of virtual and real worlds in Meta’s products, emphasizing that the company aims to provide low-cost or free AI solutions that can be integrated into users’ daily routines. He also acknowledges Meta’s Quest as a leading product in the VR space, noting its affordability compared to an upcoming expensive headset from Apple.

During the event, Zuckerberg announces the launch of Meta’s new generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses, which will include a Meta AI assistant and be priced at $299. These glasses will enable users to livestream their experiences directly to Facebook and Instagram.

The Meta Connect conference marks Meta’s first in-person event since the start of the pandemic. Zuckerberg also reveals that the latest Quest mixed-reality headset will start shipping soon and introduces Meta’s first consumer-facing generative AI products, including a chatbot called Meta AI that can generate text responses and photo-realistic images.

Zuckerberg highlights Meta AI’s integration into the smart glasses, with plans for the assistant to identify places and objects in the future. Meta developed Meta AI using the powerful Llama 2 large language model, which was released for public commercial use in July. The chatbot will have real-time information through a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing search engine.

To ensure privacy, Meta has filtered private details from the data used to train the AI model and implemented restrictions on content generation, including a ban on creating realistic images of public figures. Additionally, Meta announces the development of a platform that allows developers and individuals to create their own custom AI bots, which will have profiles on Instagram and Facebook and eventually appear as avatars in the metaverse.

The new features appear to be aimed at enhancing existing apps and devices rather than generating direct revenue. Industry experts believe that Meta is focused on developing a platform for other developers to use rather than monetizing its own AI products in the near future.

Zuckerberg also announces that Xbox cloud gaming will be available on Quest devices in December. These announcements reflect Zuckerberg’s strategy of navigating the shift in investor interest from augmented and virtual reality technologies to artificial intelligence.

The Meta Connect event is crucial in regaining investor confidence after criticism last year for Meta’s extensive spending on the metaverse. Zuckerberg had previously laid off thousands of employees to continue funding the company’s vision. Developers are eagerly watching to assess the potential for creating apps for Meta’s latest hardware devices, while investors look for signs of a successful return on Meta’s investments.

Overall, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduces a range of new AI products during the Meta Connect event, focusing on affordability, integration, and user experience. The event opens up possibilities for future developments in AI, virtual reality, and the metaverse.