At the Meta Connect Keynote Mark Zuckerberg has introduced a range of new features for its AI products. He unveiled new multimodal features, powered by its Llama 3.2 models, which aim to make the Meta AI assistant more versatile and engaging. Among the updates, users can now interact with Meta AI using voice commands across platforms such as Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
The assistant can respond audibly, with users having the option to choose from several celebrity voice options, including Awkwafina, Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, Keegan Michael Key, and Kristen Bell.
Additionally, Meta AI’s capabilities have expanded to include visual recognition. Users can now share photos in conversations with the AI, which can then analyze the images and provide relevant information. For example, the AI can identify objects in the photos, such as types of flowers or food dishes, and offer further details or instructions based on the content. Meta reports that over 400 million people are using its AI products monthly, with 185 million using them weekly. The company continues to stress its commitment to responsible AI development, prioritizing safety and continuous testing as it enhances its AI offerings.
Ray-Ban
Meta has introduced new AI features and expanded partnerships for its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, aiming to enhance user experiences with hands-free assistance and entertainment options. The glasses now allow users to ask Meta AI questions more seamlessly, without needing repetitive activation phrases. New AI-driven features include the ability to help users remember details, such as parking locations, and the capacity to translate speech in real time, initially supporting languages like Spanish, French, and Italian. These features aim to facilitate everyday tasks and enhance travel experiences by providing hands-free interactions.
Meta has also integrated video into its AI capabilities, enabling real-time assistance for activities such as exploring cities or planning meals based on visual cues. Additionally, users can now record and send voice messages through platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger directly via the glasses.
Partnerships
The company is expanding its partnerships to include Audible and iHeart, alongside existing integrations with Spotify and Amazon Music. These partnerships allow users to control music and audiobook playback through voice commands, providing more flexibility and ease in accessing content. Meta is also partnering with Be My Eyes, a platform designed to assist people with vision impairments, using the glasses’ POV video feature for real-time guidance.
In terms of design, Meta has introduced a limited edition of Shiny Transparent Wayfarer frames and new UltraTransitions GEN S lenses, offering more options for style and adaptability to different lighting conditions. Meta reports that demand for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses has been high, with millions of shared moments since their launch.
Meta has unveiled Orion, its first augmented reality (AR) glasses, which are positioned as the most advanced AR device the company has developed. Orion is designed to blend seamlessly into everyday life, combining the appearance of regular glasses with immersive AR capabilities. The device marks a significant milestone, representing years of breakthroughs in computing miniaturization and human-computer interaction (HCI) technologies.
Orion
Orion introduces features that aim to enhance how users interact with both the physical and digital worlds. With its holographic display, the glasses offer a wide field of view for multitasking, entertainment, and social interaction, allowing digital content to integrate naturally with the real world. Unlike many existing AR and mixed reality (MR) headsets, Orion’s design maintains transparency, enabling users to see others’ eyes and expressions, fostering more natural social interactions.
Meta has equipped Orion with its AI assistant, Meta AI, which can interpret visual cues in the physical environment to provide relevant information or assistance. For example, users can ask Meta AI for recipe suggestions based on the contents of their refrigerator or make hands-free video calls while managing their schedules.
Physical spaces
Although Orion is a polished prototype and not yet available to consumers, Meta is providing access to select internal and external users for testing and feedback. This approach allows the company to continue refining the device, optimizing the display quality, reducing its form factor, and working towards more affordable consumer models. While Orion is not yet consumer-ready, Meta plans to release future AR products inspired by this development.
In parallel, Meta continues to support its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which offer hands-free access to digital services, demonstrating the company’s commitment to creating AR and AI-powered wearables aimed at keeping users connected and present in both digital and physical spaces.
