It's Meta Connect day, and Meta has delivered a wealth of updates regarding its latest technological innovations, including new Quest VR headsets, AR glasses, an updated Llama AI model, new generative AI features in its apps, and much more.

There's a lot to digest and think about. Here’s a summary of the major announcements from Meta's latest showcase.

Orion AR Glasses

The highlight of the event was Meta’s debut AR glasses, dubbed “Orion,” which have been in development for the past five years.

Meta claims that the Orion glasses are the "most advanced pair of AR glasses ever created," resulting from intricate efforts to condense the necessary components into a compact design suitable for everyday wear.

As shown in the image above, the current version of the Orion glasses includes a wrist control for "subtle, socially acceptable input" and a wireless battery pack.

According to Meta, Orion features "the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses format to date," allowing for a variety of immersive experiences, ranging from "multitasking windows and big-screen entertainment to life-size holograms of individuals."

The glasses are bulkier than standard sunglasses and significantly thicker than Meta’s own Ray-Ban smart glasses. However, it's important to note that Meta had to fit a considerable amount of technology into a compact design.

Wearing the glasses gives off a vibe reminiscent of an eccentric fashion designer, although you probably won’t be sporting these just yet.

Currently, Meta is not releasing its AR glasses to the public; instead, they are being provided to select developers and internal Meta staff for testing purposes.

These prototypes primarily serve to showcase the progress made in technology, and they may not reflect the final product that Meta will offer in the coming years. This could mean that the consumer version might be sleeker and more stylish, thanks to Meta’s collaboration with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica.

Essentially, the core message of Meta’s presentation today was to emphasize that neither Apple with its VisionPro nor Snap with its latest AR glasses has surpassed Meta in this domain.

Meta’s AR glasses are poised to be more capable than Snap’s offerings and more practical (and likely less expensive) than Apple’s version.

While we’re not quite there yet, Meta’s AR expansion is progressing rapidly.

New Features for Ray-Ban Meta Glasses

In addition to the new AR glasses, Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are also receiving updates, including enhanced voice commands that allow users to engage in conversations with Meta AI without the need to repeatedly say “Hey Meta.” The glasses will also have the ability to record and send voice messages on the go.

Additionally:

Here are the key features of the updates:

Memory Assistance
Meta is introducing a new functionality that allows the Ray-Ban smart glasses to help users remember important information. For instance, if you're traveling and park your car in long-term parking at the airport, the glasses can remember your parking spot for you. This feature could be incredibly useful for frequent travelers.

Translation Feature
Another notable addition is a translations feature. The glasses will be able to listen to conversations happening around you and translate the spoken language into English through the open-ear speakers. This means you could find out if someone is talking about you in another language—or perhaps just indulge in some harmless paranoia!

Quest 3S
Meta has also unveiled its latest VR headset, the Quest 3S. This model offers the same capabilities as the Quest 3 but comes at a more affordable price point. Starting at $299.99 USD, the Quest 3S is positioned as the ideal headset for newcomers to mixed reality and immersive experiences or for those looking for a cost-effective upgrade from the Quest or Quest 2.

With these advancements, Meta continues to push the boundaries of AR and VR technology, enhancing user experiences and expanding their ecosystem.

Meta has announced a complete overhaul of its Horizon OS, which now provides enhanced support for essential 2D applications such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Additionally, the platform has made improvements to the spatial audio Passthrough features.

Essentially, this is an upgraded version of Meta’s leading VR headset, offered at a lower price, which is crucial for increasing its adoption rate.

In fact, Meta has reduced the price of the 512GB Meta Quest 3 model by $150, bringing it down to $499.99 USD. This price drop is expected to encourage more users to invest in its VR hardware and grow its user base.

Increased adoption of VR technology contributes to its momentum. While it may not yet be considered an essential technology, advancements and new experiences are laying the groundwork for Meta’s vision of VR and the metaverse.

Celebrity Voices for Meta AI

It’s unclear why Meta believes this is a significant step toward wider AI adoption, but they have introduced celebrity voices for their AI chatbot for some reason.

The primary update is that you can now use your voice to communicate with Meta AI on Messenger, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram DM, and it will respond audibly. 

Additionally, you can select a celebrity voice for your Meta AI chatbot, featuring AI renditions of stars like Awkwafina, Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kristen Bell. So when you receive a response, it’ll sound like a celebrity. Pretty neat, right?

While this could be an interesting novelty, I’m not sure why Meta considers it a meaningful enhancement. They've previously experimented with celebrity-themed AI chatbots but eventually discontinued them due to a lack of interest. They're also allowing influencers to create AI bots in their likenesses to interact with fans on their behalf.

I don’t see the appeal, as users aren’t genuinely engaging with these celebrities and creators; they're only interacting with AI versions of them. Is that what people really want? Clearly, it isn’t, yet Meta continues to pursue this direction.

Furthermore, reports indicate that Meta spent millions of dollars acquiring the rights to these celebrity voices.

I doubt this will become a major trend, but perhaps some die-hard fans of Dame Judi Dench will enjoy having a robotic version of her respond to their Meta AI inquiries.

Meta AI Image Context

Meta is also expanding its AI capabilities, enabling Meta AI to provide answers based on visual inputs.

Meta's AI chatbot has improved its ability to comprehend visual elements, allowing it to give responses based on these inputs. 

Additionally, the system can now edit existing images, enabling you to request modifications, such as adding objects to a picture.

You can also request the AI to remove or alter specific elements in an image, and it will be more capable of handling those requests.

Additionally, if you want to share a photo from your feed to your Instagram Story, Meta AI's new backgrounds feature can analyze your photo, understand its content, and create an engaging background for the story.

Meta is also introducing AI translations for Reels, allowing creators to connect with a wider audience through their content.

The audio translations will replicate the speakers’ voices in different languages while syncing their lip movements, creating a more authentic translation experience.

Meta has stated that it is initially testing this feature with a select group of creators on Instagram and Facebook.

More AI

Meta is also enhancing its "Imagine" AI feature, offering users additional options to create imaginative AI representations of themselves within the post composer.

Meta is also introducing AI-generated chat themes in Messenger and Instagram DMs, along with personalized AI content recommendations tailored to your interests.

AI for Business

Additionally, Meta will allow more businesses to create their own AI chatbots, utilizing its advanced AI models. These chatbots will be accessible through click-to-message ads on WhatsApp and Messenger.

“From addressing common customer inquiries to discussing products and completing purchases, these business AIs can assist companies in engaging more customers and boosting sales.”

This could be a straightforward way to enhance customer engagement and provide instant responses and service around the clock.

Meta has also noted that an increasing number of advertisers are utilizing its generative AI ad tools, with over 15 million ads created using these features in the past month.

“On average, ad campaigns leveraging Meta’s generative AI ad features saw an 11% higher click-through rate and a 7.6% higher conversion rate compared to those that did not utilize these features.”

More advertisers have reported success with Meta’s Advantage+ campaigns, and as its AI systems continue to advance, it appears they are delivering improved results.

There are many factors to consider, and Meta has also launched a new version of its Llama language model, which will provide expanded development opportunities.

A lot is happening at Meta HQ, with developments that will have varying degrees of interest and impact.