Meta has officially introduced certain AI functions for its Ray-Ban Meta augmented reality (AR) glasses in France, Italy, and Spain, marking a significant step in the company's spread of its innovative wearable technology across Europe.
Starting earlier this week, customers in these nations were able to interact with Meta's AI assistant solely through their voice, allowing them to ask general enquiries and receive responses through the glasses.
As part of Meta's larger initiative to make its AI assistant more widely available, this latest deployment covers French, Italian, and Spanish in addition to English. The announcement was made nearly a year after the Ray-Ban Meta spectacles were first released in September 2023.
In a blog post outlining the update, Meta stated, "We are thrilled to introduce Meta AI and its cutting-edge features to regions of the EU, and we look forward to expanding to more European countries soon.” However, not all of the features accessible in other regions will be included in the European rollout.
While customers in the United States, Canada, and Australia benefit from multimodal AI capabilities on their Ray-Ban Meta glasses, such as the ability to gain information about objects in view of the glasses' camera, these functions will not be included in the European update at present.
For example, users in the United States can ask their glasses to identify landmarks in their surroundings, such as "Tell me more about this landmark," but these functionalities are not available in Europe due to ongoing regulatory issues.
Meta has stated its commitment to dealing with Europe's complicated legal environment, specifically the EU's AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The company indicated that it is aiming to offer multimodal capabilities to more countries in the future, but there is no set date.
While the rollout in France, Italy, and Spain marks a significant milestone, Meta's journey in the European market is far from done. As the firm navigates the regulatory landscape and expands its AI solutions, users in Europe can expect more updates and new features for their Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the coming months.
As Meta continues to grow its devices and expand its AI capabilities, all eyes will be on how the firm adjusts to Europe's legal system and how this will impact the future of AR technology worldwide.