ZUCKERBERG HOLDS META CONNECT KEYNOTE ON AI AND SMART GLASSES

Meta held its annual Connect event at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Wednesday, with chief executive Mark Zuckerberg delivering the keynote at 7pm ET. Meta's event website said the two-day gathering would showcase "breakthroughs in AI technologies, AI glasses and VR". Reports ahead of the keynote said Zuckerberg was expected to unveil new products across smart glasses, headsets and artificial intelligence. One of the most anticipated announcements was a pair of camera-free smart glasses, following scrutiny over people using existing Meta glasses to record others covertly. Developer talks and further sessions were scheduled for the following day.

Meta launched a new series of Meta Glasses with built-in cameras earlier this year, and was expected to unveil a camera-free version at Connect. A leak pointed to unannounced mixed reality glasses, while Zuckerberg had written about AI and smart glasses in a recent essay. Reports said Meta's recently launched Muse AI agent was also likely to feature in the keynote. Connect has traditionally showcased updates to Meta's VR hardware, and the company has not released a new Quest headset in almost two years. Reports also noted that a rival company had launched its own smart glasses the previous week.

Reports said Meta was estimated to hold more than half of the global VR headset market, with its Quest line said to have outsold rivals for years, though estimates varied. Correspondents from technology outlets attended the keynote in person at Meta's Menlo Park campus. The keynote was Meta's most prominent update on its AI, smart glasses and VR plans since scrutiny began over covert recording using its glasses. Further developer sessions were confirmed to continue on the second day of Connect.