Meta* has unveiled a new AI app for smartphones – now also for controlling eyeglasses

Meta* has combined control of Ray-Ban smart glasses with a new Meta* AI app, making artificial intelligence the centerpiece of its entire wearable ecosystem. The update coincided with the company’s first AI conference, LlamaCon, and demonstrates a strategic shift toward deeper integration of AI into everyday devices.

Meta* AI app: competing with ChatGPT and Google Gemini

The Meta* AI app is a direct competitor to ChatGPT and Google Gemini. It allows users to have a dialog with artificial intelligence, get answers to questions, view trends, and use hints and generative features. It doesn’t matter if you have Meta* smart glasses – the app is positioned as a full-fledged AI tool for smartphones.

According to Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram* post, Meta* AI is already being used by more than a billion monthly users on the company’s other apps. The new standalone product is a logical extension of that growth.

Glasses are becoming an add-on, not a center

The Meta* Ray-Ban smart glasses were previously controlled through the Meta* View app, but now all functions have been moved to Meta* AI. In the interface, tabs are available for customizing glasses, uploading photos and videos, and managing connectivity. Thus, the app performs a dual function – an AI assistant and a control center for the wearable device.

The key focus, however, is on AI. Even if the user doesn’t own the glasses, they can use Meta* AI as a regular AI app. This indicates a shift in priority: the glasses are now just an “extension” of Meta* AI, not a standalone device.

And now the glasses are just an “extension” of Meta* AI, not a standalone device.

What’s next: AR, VR and the next step

A legitimate question arises: how does Meta* AI fit with the company’s other projects, like Horizon and Quest headsets? So far, almost nothing. Horizon remains a platform for social worlds and avatars, with a focus on VR gaming, while Meta* AI focuses on generative intelligence, photo and video analytics.

But these areas are expected to converge in the future. Meta* is already working on advanced Orion AR glasses with displays and neural interfaces. Their release could take place in the fall, and the price is rumored to exceed $1000. These devices will combine AI and augmented reality into a single platform.

Meta* bets on AI – no matter the format

Meta*’s current strategy clearly reflects the company’s top priority: artificial intelligence becomes a product in its own right, not just a feature of glasses, headsets or messengers. Meta* AI is a step toward a universal AI platform that will work in phones, glasses, and possibly other devices in the coming years.

* Owned by Meta, it is recognized as an extremist organization in Russia and its activities are banned.

The article Meta* unveils new AI app for smartphones – now for controlling glasses was first published on ITZine.ru.