Meta has unveiled its latest AI-powered smart glasses at its annual developers’ conference in California. The device, created in partnership with Ray-Ban, is pitched as the next step in wearable technology, combining a high-resolution display with voice, camera and gesture controls. The launch is part of a trend that has seen major tech firms racing to position glasses as a platform for artificial intelligence, combining fashion and computing.

On stage at Meta’s Connect conference in Menlo Park, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the device as part of a wider pitch about how artificial intelligence could become seamlessly integrated into everyday tasks. The glasses combine a built-in display, microphones, speakers and cameras, while the accompanying Neural Band wrist device allows users to control functions with subtle hand movements.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, says, “Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence because they let you stay present in the moment, while getting access to all of these AI capabilities that make you smarter, help you communicate better, improve your memory, improve your senses.

The glasses feature a discreet in-lens display, allowing users to check messages, preview photos, get directions or view live translations without taking out a phone.

Ankit Brahmbhatt, Director of Product Management at Meta, says, We feel very much that this is already going to make you much more heads up. And in the moment, with eye glasses, you actually have this sense of being able to engage.

Each pair is bundled with the new Meta Neural Band, a wrist-worn device that uses electromyography to turn subtle muscle movements into digital commands. A small pinch of the fingers or a flick of the wrist can be used to scroll, select or even type, which removes the need to touch the glasses or use a smartphone. It also highlights accessibility, with potential benefits for people who have limited mobility or tremors.

The company says this is just one part of its vision for glasses as a new computing platform, which aims to keep users connected to AI while remaining present in the world around them.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.