Meta is making a major push to put artificial intelligence into everyday devices, unveiling new AI-powered glasses, a redesigned virtual-reality platform and its consumer AI agent Muse as CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that the future of advanced AI should be built around giving people more control.
At Meta’s Connect conference on Sept. 23, Zuckerberg acknowledged that the AI industry is going through a period of intense debate over where increasingly powerful systems could lead. His message, however, was distinctly optimistic: Meta believes AI should be broadly distributed rather than concentrated among a small number of companies or institutions.
Muse sits at the centre of that strategy.
Unlike conventional chatbots that primarily respond to prompts, Meta describes Muse as an AI agent capable of taking actions on a user’s behalf. Demonstrations showed the system handling tasks such as travel planning, reservations and grocery orders, with integrations involving services including OpenTable, Spotify and Ticketmaster.
Meta is also working to bring Muse directly to its AI glasses, allowing users to interact with the assistant without reaching for a phone or computer.
The company plans to expand that idea further with Muse Charm, a small keychain-like device expected to arrive during the December holiday period. Meta says the device will provide access to the Muse experience without requiring a smartphone or smart glasses.
The broader strategy is built around Zuckerberg’s long-standing prediction that wearable devices could eventually replace smartphones as the primary way people interact with technology.
At Connect, Meta introduced or demonstrated several products aimed at moving toward that future.
The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses will focus on audio rather than a visual display, allowing users to listen to music, make calls and interact with an AI assistant. They are expected to launch in October starting at US$349.
Meta is also adding hearing-enhancement technology to supported AI glasses. Zuckerberg said the feature can function as an over-the-counter hearing aid for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, subject to regulatory availability.
The company is expanding its existing smart-glasses lineup as well. Meta says there will be more than 100 styles across its Ray-Ban, Oakley and Meta glasses by the end of 2026, with availability expanding to additional markets including the Philippines. The latest-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses start at US$449.
Meta also unveiled a dramatic redesign of its virtual-reality hardware.
Instead of a traditional bulky headset, the new Meta VR Glasses use a much lighter glasses-style design weighing roughly 100 grams. Users can interact with virtual interfaces using eye tracking, hand gestures and voice commands rather than relying primarily on conventional controllers.
The glasses are designed for both entertainment and productivity. Meta demonstrated immersive sports and concert experiences, a feature called VR Enhanced Cinema that can transform the surrounding environment while watching movies, and virtual computer screens that can appear across a user’s physical workspace.
The system can also generate a photorealistic hologram of another person during a video call, creating the impression of having a three-dimensional version of the caller in front of you.
Meta says the VR glasses are scheduled to launch in spring 2027 at US$1,300.
The company’s aggressive push comes as debate intensifies across the technology industry over the speed and direction of AI development. Zuckerberg has pushed back against calls for a broad slowdown, arguing instead that AI companies should develop their systems responsibly while ensuring the technology is distributed widely and accompanied by safeguards.
Meta’s approach therefore differs from simply building a more powerful chatbot. The company is trying to make AI continuously available through devices people wear, with agents that can see, hear, communicate and eventually act on a user’s instructions.
That strategy also introduces difficult questions around privacy, security and dependence on AI systems. Meta is asking consumers to place microphones, cameras, sensors and increasingly capable assistants directly into devices worn throughout daily life.
The company is betting that convenience will drive adoption.
Whether consumers ultimately embrace AI as something they wear rather than something they open on a phone or computer remains to be seen. But Meta’s latest announcements make clear that the company is preparing for a future in which the smartphone is no longer the only gateway to digital services.
The bigger question is whether Meta’s wearable-first AI vision can move beyond impressive demonstrations and become an everyday technology that people actually want to keep on them all day.
