Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivered a landmark keynote at Meta Connect 2024, unveiling the company’s ambitious vision for artificial intelligence and augmented reality. The centerpiece announcement was Orion, Meta’s first “true AR” prototype glasses featuring fully holographic capabilities that integrate visuals directly into the lenses.
While the Orion glasses won’t be available to consumers immediately, they represent a significant leap forward in AR technology. Early testers, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, praised the prototype’s 100-gram weight and impressive field of view. Business Insider’s Peter Kafka stated he’d “buy them in a heartbeat” after an early demo. The glasses come with a neural interface bracelet that allows users to send signals from their brain to the device, showcasing Meta’s vision for next-generation human-computer interaction.
Meta AI received substantial updates during the keynote, with Zuckerberg announcing what he called the “biggest AI announcement of the day” - natural voice interactions. Meta AI will feature celebrity voices including Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, Awkwafina, Keegan Michael Key, and Kristen Bell, allowing users to interact with AI assistants using voice rather than text. Zuckerberg maintained that Meta AI will become the most used AI resource globally by the end of 2024, suggesting it may already hold that position.
The company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are receiving major AI enhancements, including multi-modal AI capabilities for real-time assistance, improved conversational abilities, and better memory of what users have seen. A standout feature is real-time translation, demonstrated when Zuckerberg conversed in Spanish with Brandon Moreno, with the glasses translating in real-time. The AI can also provide fashion advice based on visual input.
Meta also announced Llama 3.2, its latest open-source AI model, though it won’t be immediately available in the European Union. The company expanded its AI creator tools, demonstrating an uncanny AI avatar feature where technologist Don Allen Stevenson III spoke with an AI version of himself that looked and sounded remarkably realistic.
On the hardware front, Meta launched the Quest 3S mixed-reality headset at $299, positioning it as an entry-level alternative that applies pressure to Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro. The device features improved pass-through abilities and Microsoft integration for seamless Windows PC use. Wall Street responded positively, with Meta’s stock rising more than 2% as Zuckerberg concluded his presentation.
Key Quotes
I think that you need a device that allows you to send a signal from your brain to the device
Mark Zuckerberg explained the neural interface bracelet accompanying the Orion glasses, revealing Meta’s vision for brain-computer interaction as the future of human-device communication beyond traditional input methods.
Interacting with AI using your voice will be a better way to interact with AI than text
Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of natural voice interactions while introducing celebrity voices for Meta AI, positioning voice as the primary interface for AI assistants and marking what he called the ‘biggest AI announcement of the day.’
I’d buy them in a heartbeat
Business Insider’s chief correspondent Peter Kafka shared his reaction after an early demo of the Orion AR glasses, indicating strong market potential despite the prototype not being consumer-ready.
Meta AI will be the most used AI resource in the world by the end of 2024. But, Zuck says, Meta AI is ‘probably already there’
Zuckerberg’s bold claim positions Meta AI as potentially surpassing competitors like ChatGPT in usage, leveraging Meta’s massive user base across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
Our Take
Meta’s comprehensive AI strategy revealed at Connect 2024 demonstrates a company firing on all cylinders to dominate the next computing paradigm. Unlike competitors focusing on single products, Meta is building an integrated AI ecosystem spanning social platforms, wearables, and immersive hardware. The neural interface bracelet with Orion is particularly significant - it suggests Meta is thinking beyond current AR/VR limitations toward true brain-computer interfaces.
The celebrity voice integration for Meta AI is a clever consumer play that could drive mainstream adoption, while the real-time translation in Ray-Ban glasses solves genuine user problems. However, the delayed consumer launch of Orion and continued EU regulatory challenges with Llama 3.2 reveal persistent obstacles. The $299 Quest 3S pricing is aggressive and could finally bring mixed reality to mass market, especially compared to Apple’s premium approach. Meta is clearly betting big that AI-powered AR glasses, not smartphones, will define computing’s future.
Why This Matters
Meta Connect 2024 signals a pivotal moment in the AI and AR industries, demonstrating how tech giants are racing to define the next computing platform. Meta’s aggressive AI integration across its entire product ecosystem - from social media platforms to smart glasses to VR headsets - represents a comprehensive strategy to compete with OpenAI, Google, and other AI leaders.
The Orion glasses with neural interface technology could fundamentally change human-computer interaction, moving beyond screens and keyboards to brain-signal controls. This positions Meta at the forefront of brain-computer interface development alongside companies like Neuralink.
The democratization of AI through voice interfaces and celebrity personas makes artificial intelligence more accessible and engaging for mainstream consumers. Meta’s claim to become the world’s most-used AI by year-end, combined with its integration across billions of users on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, could shift the competitive landscape significantly.
For businesses and developers, Meta’s open-source Llama 3.2 model and expanded creator tools lower barriers to AI adoption. The affordable Quest 3S also challenges Apple’s premium positioning, potentially accelerating mixed-reality adoption across consumer and enterprise markets.
Recommended Reading
For those interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and effective AI communication, here are some excellent resources:
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-connect-live-updates-mark-zuckerberg-keynote-2024-9