Meta Expands AI Wearables Lineup as Privacy Concerns Intensify

 

Meta is broadening its push into AI-powered wearable technology with a new generation of smart glasses and mixed reality devices, while placing greater emphasis on privacy as concerns over discreet recording continue to grow.

The company introduced the new products Wednesday during its annual Connect conference at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California. CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented the lineup as part of Meta's longer-term strategy to make AI glasses a mainstream computing platform.

Zuckerberg said nearly 2 billion people worldwide already wear conventional glasses and argued that many of those users could eventually shift to AI-enabled versions.

One of the more notable additions is an audio-only smart glasses model that removes the camera entirely. The move addresses concerns surrounding wearable devices capable of silently capturing images and video in public spaces.

Meta's existing smart glasses can take photographs, record video, play music, handle phone calls, translate text and provide access to an AI assistant. The new camera-free version retains the audio and AI functions while eliminating the ability to record images.

The company will continue selling camera-equipped models, including a wider selection of Meta Ray-Ban glasses. Meta said its display-equipped glasses, which start at $799, will soon expand into markets including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Canada.

Privacy Remains a Key Issue

The expansion comes as regulators, advocacy groups and members of the public continue to question the privacy implications of glasses equipped with miniature cameras.

Meta has attempted to address those concerns through a visible recording indicator. Vishal Shah, Meta's vice president of AI products, said the company has progressively made the indicator more prominent so people around the wearer can recognize when the device is recording.

The issue has become increasingly important as wearable cameras become smaller and more capable. Unlike a conventional smartphone, a camera embedded in glasses can operate from the user's eye level while leaving both hands free, creating different challenges for people who may be filmed without their knowledge.

Meta introduced its first generation of smart glasses in 2021. Since then, the company has expanded the technology from basic audio and camera functions to AI assistance and, more recently, displays capable of projecting information onto the lens.

The company has also introduced Meta-branded AI glasses alongside its continuing partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear company behind Ray-Ban and Oakley products.

Lighter Mixed Reality Hardware

Meta also unveiled a new mixed reality headset designed to reduce the weight associated with conventional virtual reality hardware.

The upcoming Meta VR Glasses separate the battery and memory components from the main headset, connecting them through a cable. This approach allows the glasses themselves to be substantially lighter than traditional standalone VR headsets.

According to Zuckerberg, the device weighs roughly as much as a deck of cards.

Rather than using conventional external controls, the system relies on voice commands and hand gestures. Meta plans to launch the device in spring 2027 at a starting price of $1,299.

The product represents another step in Meta's effort to move computing away from conventional screens and toward devices that can be worn throughout the day.

Meta Pushes Muse as a Personal AI Assistant

Alongside the hardware announcements, Meta highlighted Muse, its consumer-facing agentic AI application.

Unlike a conventional chatbot that primarily responds to prompts, Muse is designed to carry out tasks on a user's behalf. After users connect supported personal accounts, Meta says the assistant can perform activities such as arranging appointments, signing up for services and making phone calls.

That broader level of access also raises questions about how AI systems handle sensitive personal information. Meta says Muse can connect with accounts involving areas such as shopping and financial or health-related services.

The company is building an ecosystem around the assistant through partnerships with businesses including Instacart, Shopify and Expedia. Meta also identified Walmart, Best Buy, Gap and Sephora as partners.

Amazon, however, recently moved to prevent Meta's AI bots from automatically shopping on behalf of users, illustrating the broader commercial and technical boundaries companies are negotiating as AI agents become more capable.

Muse is powered by Meta's own AI models and places the company in direct competition with consumer AI platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude.

AI Expansion Comes With Regulatory Pressure

Meta's growing investment in artificial intelligence comes as the company continues to face scrutiny over privacy and child safety.

The company has committed billions of dollars to developing AI technology while its primary advertising businesses remain centered on Facebook and Instagram. At the same time, Meta has faced legal and regulatory challenges involving young users and the handling of personal data.

In August, the company reached a settlement with U.S. states over allegations involving consumer protection and children's online privacy laws. The agreement reportedly could involve payments of up to $18 billion and restrictions affecting teenage users.

Meta is also dealing with age-related restrictions and platform measures in other countries, alongside thousands of potential personal injury cases in the United States.

The latest hardware and Muse announcements therefore represent more than a product expansion. They show Meta attempting to establish AI as a layer that sits between users and everyday digital services, while the company continues to confront questions over privacy, data access and the appropriate boundaries for increasingly autonomous technology.