I just tried out the latest AI updates from Ray-Ban Meta – my favorite smart glasses just got a whole lot smarter

Kathleen William October 18, 2024

A little over a week ago at Meta Connect 2024, Zuck announced a number of new AI features for the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, along with a limited-edition transparent model that I immediately purchased with no regrets.

Up until this point, the non-existence of Meta AI here in the UK meant that these specs were just a nicer looking pair of Snapchat glasses – which gave me a rather interesting Jonathan Van Ness bargain vibe. But it's not just Meta AI now Finally Since it's available in the UK and Australia, I was able to try out some of the latest features of the best smart glasses.

And to put it simply: If you thought multimodal AI capabilities were intelligent before, then you ain't seen nothing yet. These updates are a quiet revolution that makes it less of a question-and-answer machine and more of a legitimately helpful assistant.

Actual conversation

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

(Image credit: Future)

In one of my big predictions for Connect 2024, I crossed my fingers for more natural interactions with the Ray-Bans. In fact, I threw down the gauntlet for Meta so she no longer has to say, “Hey Meta, look and…” followed by your question. Now, not to say I'm the mystical Meg of AI glasses (ask your British friends), but that's exactly what happened.

The end result is probably the biggest feature update to the Smart specs that you won't even notice. It's much more natural to get help translating a menu, get recipe ideas based on the ingredients in your kitchen, and learn more about points of interest without having to stick to the standard prompt rubric.

There are still times when you need to be more specific in your request. For example, when I held my Viking compass tattoo up to the camera and asked, “Hey Meta, what does this tattoo mean,” the answer was simply a dictionary definition of the word “tattoo.” When I followed the prompt, I received a detailed description of the details and their meaning.

But overall it works, and it works damn well.

Real life reminder

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

(Image credit: Future)

Have you ever seen the episode of Black Mirror where everyone has an eye-based computer to rewind to specific moments and conversations? Not only is this my fiancée's dream gadget for the future, reminding me when I said “yes” to an errand I forgot to do, but Meta has also taken a small step in that direction with Reminders .

There are simpler reminders – things like “Remind me to help find updates for the team tomorrow at 8:30am,” which comes with a little notification boost. But where things get really interesting is the vision element of things.

For example, the prompt to remind me to buy this book in two weeks was a seamless process where Meta AI stripped the information from the cover to provide those additional details. If you have a vague memory of something, your Ray-Bans can remember it. I asked, “Which book should I buy in two weeks?” And the answer was straight to the point: “You should have bought The Last of Us Part II in two weeks.”

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

(Image credit: Future)

However, there are limitations. Visual reminders simply serve to remind you to do something with the captured object. There is no way to pin a location to an article, which seems to be a common misconception of the entire “Remember Where I Parked” demo at Connect 2024.

This would be another major advance if location data could be used alongside visual data – your glasses telling you which direction to go to find what you're supposed to remember.

I also like that I can ask Meta AI to scan a QR code and send the link to my phone. Most of the time it's probably a link you want to open immediately (maybe a concert poster to buy tickets), so it's better to use your phone. But in cases where you just want to bookmark something to view later, this has been extremely helpful.

outlook

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately not all All the features I wanted to try were there. Live voice translation won't be available until later this year and I was unable to call a phone number I saw in front of me. But based on what I've tested so far (and what I'm looking forward to in my everyday life), the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are just that – smart.

In addition, they become even smarter with version 186. This is legitimately the best AI hardware you can buy right now. And even if there are still a few hurdles to overcome when it comes to misunderstandings during requests, the new functions make it a very helpful companion in your gadget arsenal.

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I just tried out the latest AI updates from Ray-Ban Meta – my favorite smart glasses just got a whole lot smarter

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Kathleen William

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I just tried out the latest AI updates from Ray-Ban Meta – my favorite smart glasses just got a whole lot smarter

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Kathleen William

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