Meta’s Ray-Ban Glasses and AI Features

Meta, a US-based company, has started rolling out specific AI features for users of its Ray-Ban Meta AR glasses in France, Italy, Ireland, and Spain. Since Monday, users in these countries can interact with Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, using their voice to get answers to general questions. With this update, Meta AI is now available in French, Italian, and Spanish, in addition to English.

Meta promotes this new feature by stating that with Meta AI on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, people can ask questions on the go and receive real-time answers, information, recommendations, or even creative writing suggestions. However, the ability to get answers about what users see, such as “Hey Meta, tell me more about this landmark,” remains unavailable outside the USA, Australia, and Canada.

The delay in full functionality in Europe is partly due to stricter data protection regulations within the European Union (EU), such as the European AI Act, which provides a legal and regulatory framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI). There are also the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU’s data protection law, which affect AI training.

Meta trains its AI models, including those controlling the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, with publicly posted content and images from Facebook and Instagram. This practice, known as “scraping,” is not allowed in the EU. In June, Meta paused AI training with data under GDPR after Ireland’s data protection authority asked the company to stop using Instagram and Facebook data for training its large language models. Previously, Meta users in the EU could opt-out of their data being used.

Since the product launch in September 2023, Meta has worked tirelessly to ensure the Ray-Ban Meta glasses comply with the complex European regulatory system. Meta expressed excitement about offering Meta AI and its innovative features in parts of the EU and plans to expand to more European countries soon.

Even without AI, Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been popular. In 60% of Ray-Ban stores across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, they were the best-selling glasses. The smart AR glasses, a collaboration between Meta and Ray-Ban, have been available for over a year, following the Ray-Ban Stories, which could take videos and photos. The Ray-Ban Meta Glasses also include speakers, a microphone, and a touchpad in the arms, allowing users to listen to music or take calls.

Two Harvard students even managed to identify strangers on the street by sight using the glasses. This capability might intensify discussions about data protection standards for AR glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses.