At the annual Meta Connect developers conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new line of AI-powered smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban and Oakley. The launch featured ambitious innovations like a neural wristband paired with Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, enabling tasks through subtle hand gestures. Zuckerberg called it a “huge scientific breakthrough.”
However, the spotlight soon shifted to unexpected demo failures.
In one live demo, celebrity chef Jack Mancuso struggled to get the glasses’ AI assistant to follow a recipe correctly, with repeated errors and redundant instructions. Mancuso attributed the issues to WiFi glitches, while Zuckerberg quipped, “The irony is you spend years making technology and then the WiFi catches you.”
Another glitch occurred during a WhatsApp video call demo. Zuckerberg’s neural interface failed multiple times to register the call with Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, forcing Bosworth to join him on stage. Both leaders joked about the “brutal” WiFi as the audience chuckled.
Despite the setbacks, Zuckerberg showcased a pre-recorded video of the glasses functioning seamlessly — designing a surfboard and ordering parts — to highlight how agentic AI could transform everyday tasks.
The newly launched devices include:
- Ray-Ban Meta Display ($799): features a color high-resolution lens display and 12-MP camera.
- Oakley Meta Vanguard ($499).
- Second-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses ($379).
These products reflect Meta’s push to integrate artificial intelligence into wearable tech, though the live demos suggested the road to perfecting the experience may still be bumpy.
