MENLO PARK, California. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, inaugurated the company’s annual Connect developer conference on Wednesday, placing a spotlight on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).
In a grand event held at Meta’s Menlo Park, California headquarters, the tech mogul unveiled the much-anticipated next iteration of their virtual reality headset, the Quest 3. Priced at $499, this cutting-edge device is slated to commence shipping on October 10.
Standing before an enthusiastic audience comprising developers, employees, and journalists, Zuckerberg conveyed Meta’s unwavering commitment to “building the future of human connection.” He painted a vivid picture of a near-future where people would engage with holographic representations of friends and colleagues, as well as AI-powered virtual assistants designed to enhance their daily lives.
One of the major highlights of the conference was the introduction of an AI personal assistant, compatible with Meta’s messaging apps. Additionally, Zuckerberg introduced a series of playful AI characters, such as “Max the sous chef,” designed to assist users in generating creative dinner ideas, and “Lily,” a “personal editor and writing partner.”
“These are just a few we have trained, there are a lot more coming,” Zuckerberg teased, hinting at the company’s ambitious AI endeavors.
Further reinforcing Meta’s commitment to AI integration, Zuckerberg unveiled the latest version of Meta’s Ray Ban Stories smart glasses, slated to launch on October 17 at a price of $299. These smart glasses offer users the ability to record videos, capture photos, livestream, listen to music, and interact with Meta’s AI assistant, marking a significant leap forward in wearable AI technology.
According to Zuckerberg, smart glasses provide an ideal form factor for enabling AI assistants to perceive the user’s surroundings, fostering a more immersive and intuitive user experience.
Meta is in the midst of a strategic transformation, aspiring to shift from being a provider of social media platforms to a dominant force in the emerging metaverse—an expansive, 3D virtual realm resembling a living internet. However, this transformation has proven to be a gradual process, costing the company billions of dollars, while its primary revenue source continues to be advertising on its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Analysts highlight competition from TikTok as Meta’s most significant challenge in this endeavor.
Yoram Wurmser, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, commented on Meta’s challenges, stating, “A lot of this effort around chatbots and stories and other ways just to keep engagement going (like) AI-driven personalization and stuff like that, that’s the overarching challenge for the company.”
Compounded by a slump in online advertising and global economic uncertainties, Meta has implemented significant workforce reductions, trimming over 20,000 jobs since November of the previous year. Zuckerberg has dubbed 2023 as the “year of efficiency” for the company, emphasizing the need for a leaner workforce while concentrating on technical hires, particularly experts in AI, to realize Meta’s long-term vision.
Artificial intelligence remains pivotal to Meta’s long-term objectives. Earlier in the summer, the company unveiled the next generation of its AI language model, Llama 2, and made it available for research and commercial use, free of charge. In a notable announcement at the conference, Meta introduced an AI image generator named Emu, capable of creating images based on user prompts.
Meta’s ongoing commitment to advancing AI technology is evident, mirroring industry peers such as Google and Microsoft, which have long-established research teams dedicated to AI innovation. Nevertheless, Meta faces increased competition in the realm of “generative AI” from emerging tools like ChatGPT, prompting the company to seek partnerships for wider dissemination. Zuckerberg confirmed that users can access Meta’s new AI models directly or through a partnership with Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, which also includes Microsoft’s safety and content tools.
As the Connect developer conference unfolds, Meta’s vision of a future driven by AI, VR, and AR takes center stage, underscoring the company’s determination to redefine human interaction in the digital age. The conference is expected to provide further insights into Meta’s evolving strategy and its pursuit of dominance in the metaverse.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
