META has upgraded its smart glasses with the ability to describe what you’re seeing using a built-in camera.
You can simply ask the AI inside the glasses about what you’re looking at – and it’ll reply using the speaker inside the specs.
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The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses were launched by tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg last year, giving you the ability to record videos and ask an AI questions simply using the eyewear.
Now the AI can assess what’s in front of you and provide helpful responses.
For instance, it could describe a cat breed, translate a foreign-language sign, or tell you information about a famous landmark.
Meta calls this “multimodal”, which simply means the AI can assess more than one type of input – so not just your voice, but images of the world around you too.
“We started testing a multimodal AI update in December, so you can ask your glasses about what you’re seeing, and they’ll give you smart, helpful answers or suggestions,” Meta explains.
“That means you can do more with your glasses because now they can see what you see.
“Say you’re traveling and trying to read a menu in French.
“Your smart glasses can use their built-in camera and Meta AI to translate the text for you, giving you the info you need without having to pull out your phone or stare at a screen.”
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However, you can’t ask just anything: for instance, it Meta won’t be able to tell you about a person you’ve spotted in the street, for privacy reasons.
The feature is now rolling out to all Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses across the U.S. and Canada as a beta test.
Mark Zuckerberg shows off ‘AI glasses’ that give you info about what you see – and you can sign up for ‘early access’ today
Just make sure you’ve updated your glasses to the latest software, and then simply say “Hey Meta” and ask a question.
META VISION
That’s not all: the Meta glasses now let you share your view while making a video call.
If you’re video-calling via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger and you’re wearing the glasses, you can show the other callers what you’re seeing.
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Meta says: “At the grocery store and not sure which brand of kombucha to buy? Can’t tell if that pineapple is ripe?
“Now you can hop on a video call with your mom and get her advice based on what you see.”
The video-calling feature is rolling out gradually according to Meta, so you might not see the update right away.
Meta has also added new frame options, which are now available in 15 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Who is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook?
Here’s what you need to know…
- Mark Zuckerberg is the chairman, CEO and co-founder of social networking giant Facebook
- Born in White Plains, New York in 1984, Zuckerberg already had a “reputation as a programming prodigy” when he started college
- While at Harvard, Zuckerberg launched a site called Face Mash, on which students ranked the attractiveness of their classmates
- Harvard shut the site down after its popularity crashed a network and Zuckerberg later apologised saying it was “completely improper”
- The following term he began working on an early version of Facebook
- The 33-year-old launched the social network from his dorm room on February 4, 2004 with the help of fellow students
- The friends would end up embroiled in legal disputes as they challenged Zuckerberg for shares in the company
- Zuckerberg also faced action from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, as well as Divya Narendra who claimed he had stolen their idea – the disagreement was later turned into the film, The Social Network
- The tech prodigy dropped out of Harvard to focus on Facebook, but received an honorary degree in 2017
- Speaking about the site to Wired magazine in 2010 he said: “The thing I really care about is the mission, making the world open”
- By 2012 Facebook had one billion users. By June 2017 it had reached two billion users every month
- In 2024, Facebook reaches 3.05 billion monthly users
- Mark Zuckerberg’s estimated net worth is $165 billion, which makes him the fourth-richest person in the world
- Zuckerberg is married to fellow Harvard alumni Priscilla Chan, who he began dating in 2003
- The couple have three daughters, as well as a Puli dog named Beast
