Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Get AI Boost: Live Assistance, Translations, and Music Recognition
Staff Editor Meta Unveils AI-Powered Features for Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
Meta has announced a suite of new features for its Ray-Ban smart glasses, including live AI assistance, real-time translations, and Shazam integration. These enhancements, initially revealed at Meta Connect 2024, aim to transform the user experience and expand the device’s capabilities.
The live AI feature, exclusive to Meta’s Early Access Program members, allows users to interact naturally with Meta’s AI assistant. This AI continuously observes the user’s surroundings, providing contextual assistance for up to 30 minutes on a full charge. For instance, it can suggest recipes based on ingredients visible in a grocery store.
Another exclusive feature for Early Access members is live translation. This function offers real-time speech translation between English and Spanish, French, or Italian. Users can choose to hear translations through the glasses or view transcripts on their smartphones. To use this feature, users must pre-download language pairs and specify the languages spoken by both parties.
Shazam support, available to all users in the US and Canada, enables song identification by prompting Meta AI. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated this feature in a recent Instagram reel.
To access these new features, users’ glasses must run v11 software, and the Meta View app should be updated to v196. Those interested in joining the Early Access Program can apply through Meta’s designated website.
These developments come as Big Tech companies increasingly focus on AI assistants as a key feature for smart glasses. Google recently announced Android XR, positioning its Gemini AI assistant as a significant application in this space.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth emphasized the importance of these advancements, stating that 2024 could be a pivotal year for AI glasses, suggesting they represent an AI-native device category. As the smart glasses market continues to evolve, Meta’s latest features demonstrate the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of wearable AI technology.
