The Meta Connect 2024 conference, which took place on the night of September 25-26, brought a number of innovations in the area of augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). Key moments included the presentation of innovative AR glasses codenamed “Orion” and the development of artificial intelligence in various applications. What does Mark Zuckerberg plan for the coming quarters and how does he want to beat Apple when it comes to augmented reality?
Orion AR glasses: The future of augmented reality
Orion glasses are one of Meta’s greatest achievements in the field of AR. The prototype was designed to connect the real and virtual worlds, offering extensive opportunities for real-time holographic displays. It is characterized by a lightweight design (less than 100 grams), and miniaturization technology makes it comfortable for everyday wear. Although they are not yet ready for consumer sale, Orion has the potential to become a game-changer in the AR category. Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that these glasses could revolutionize interaction with technology, even replacing smartphones. For now, they are only available to selected developers who will test new features.
Importantly, Orion AR glasses do not display images directly on the glass. Orion sheds light on nanoscale structures in the lenses, making it possible to create holograms of various sizes and depths. This is why the Orion AR glasses (or rather the prototype) are small and at the same time powerful enough to generate images of comparable quality to what is available in Apple Vision Pro – at least that’s what the first technological reviewers of this prototype say.
What’s new in Meta AI
Artificial intelligence was another important topic of the conference. Meta AI has introduced new features that enable voice interactions on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. Users can ask the AI questions via voice, and the bots respond with a variety of voices, including celebrities such as Judi Dench and John Cena. Additionally, Meta announced the development of tools for content creators, including: translations and lip synchronization in Reels videos.
A new version of the LLaMA 3.2 model has also been introduced, which supports multilingual and multimodal interactions, e.g. image and chart analysis, although some functions will not be available in Europe due to AI Act regulations. It also seems that new products from Meta AI will not be available in Poland and other European Union countries for a long time.
Meta Quest 3S and other announcements
Meta also announced a new version of the VR goggles – Quest 3S, which is to be a cheaper alternative to Quest 3. The device will go on sale in October 2024. Further plans include the development of future VR models, such as Quest 4, planned for 2026, and an advanced VR headset codenamed “La Jolla”, which will be dedicated to more complex spatial calculations.
Meta Connect 2024 is proof that Zuckerberg’s corporation is not slowing down in its pursuit of connecting the real and virtual worlds, in which AI and AR play a key role in the future of technology.
