Meta, the owner of Facebook, is set to launch its annual Connect conference at its California headquarters, with a spotlight on its first augmented reality (AR) glasses and significant updates to its virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) products. Among the AI enhancements, users will soon be able to choose celebrity voices, such as Judi Dench and John Cena, for Meta’s ChatGPT-like chatbot.
The AR glasses reveal has been highly anticipated by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has been aiming to integrate AR technology into the company’s vision since 2021. However, technical obstacles have delayed a market-ready product, with the head of Meta’s Reality Labs division indicating that a viable consumer AR device is still a few years away.
Meta’s substantial investments in AI, AR, and other metaverse technologies have ballooned its capital expenses forecast for 2024 to a record $37-$40 billion. Reality Labs, the company’s metaverse division, reported a loss of $8.3 billion in the first half of this year, following a $16 billion loss last year.
The initial generation of AR glasses will be distributed internally and to select developers, costing tens of thousands of dollars each. The company aims to release its first consumer AR glasses by 2027 once production costs decrease with technical advancements.
Zuckerberg hinted that the prototype is near completion, although Meta has not publicly detailed these plans. Meanwhile, the company has found unexpected success with its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, equipped with cameras and AI-powered digital assistants. Since their revamp, the smart glasses have become the leading AI wearable, with over 700,000 pairs shipped according to IDC.
Meta plans to continue its partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica and possibly invest further in the company. Future versions of the smart glasses are expected to include a viewfinder for displaying text and images and enhanced AI assistant capabilities.
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