In a momentous event marking the 10th anniversary of Connect, Meta CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg shared a glimpse into how artificial intelligence (AI) and metaverse technologies are revolutionizing our experience of both the physical and digital realms. He emphasized the significance of bridging these two worlds seamlessly, as our reality is defined by the fusion of the physical and digital.
Zuckerberg painted a vivid picture of what this future could look like, where virtual experiences become an integral part of our lives. Imagine a customizable home theater that replaces your TV, or gatherings with friends where some are physically present while others are distant avatars, yet the sense of presence remains intact. It’s a vision of meetings where AI avatars assist with various tasks. These possibilities become achievable as our physical and virtual worlds converge with advanced technologies.
At Connect, Zuckerberg unveiled progress on three key fronts:
- Mixed Reality Goes Mainstream with Meta Quest 3: Meta Quest 3 takes mixed reality to new heights, boasting double the graphics processing power of its predecessor, Quest 2. It also introduces the cutting-edge Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platform, developed in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies. Quest 3 is a standalone device, eliminating the need for PCs, consoles, or battery packs, ensuring an uninterrupted sense of presence. With Quest 3, users can explore a vast content library, with over 100 new titles set to launch this year. Its backward compatibility offers access to a library of 500+ VR and MR experiences from day one. Additionally, Xbox Cloud Gaming will arrive on Quest in December, enabling users to play popular Xbox games on a portable 2D screen.
- Advances in Artificial Intelligence: Meta showcased its strides in AI, including the Emu (Expressive Media Universe) image generation model. Emu creates photorealistic images from text prompts in seconds, enhancing chat conversations with custom AI stickers. Instagram will soon introduce “restyle” and “backdrop” features, leveraging Emu’s technology. Restyle transforms images with user-defined visual styles, while backdrop modifies image scenes. To ensure transparency, AI-generated content will include markers distinguishing it from human-generated content. Meta is working on a diverse range of AI personalities and capabilities, allowing users to interact with AI characters across various contexts.
- AI Studio and Meta AI: Meta is introducing AI Studio, a platform for creating AIs that enhance productivity and entertainment. These AIs will be integrated across Meta’s product suite, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the metaverse. Meta AI, one such creation, serves as a personal assistant with real-time information access through Bing search. With the inclusion of Emu, users can generate high-quality images instantaneously. Meta plans to empower developers to build third-party AIs for messaging services, enable non-coders to create AIs, and support businesses in creating AIs for customer interactions.
- Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses Collection: Collaborating with EssilorLuxottica, Meta introduced the next generation of smart glasses. These glasses are designed for seamless connectivity and content capture, enabling users to share experiences effortlessly. They offer live streaming directly to Facebook and Instagram, a feature not seen in previous iterations. Moreover, they come equipped with Meta AI, providing hands-free AI assistance. Future updates will enhance the glasses’ ability to recognize and provide information about the user’s surroundings, such as building names and real-time translations.
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses collection will launch on October 17, starting at $299 USD, with pre-orders available. Quest 3 will be available for $499.99 USD from October 10, with pre-orders currently open.
The unveiling of these groundbreaking advancements underscores Meta’s commitment to ushering in an era where AI, mixed reality, and smart glasses converge to transform how individuals, businesses, and creators interact with their digital and physical worlds. As the metaverse vision becomes more tangible, Meta continues to innovate, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all.
