Meta’s Quest 3 mixed-reality headset is set to achieve unprecedented advancements with the integration of Meta AI, positioning it ahead of Apple Vision Pro in adopting AI technology. Announced yesterday, Meta plans to introduce its ‘supercharged’ Meta AI assistant to the Quest 3 device in August. This development surpasses Bloomberg’s reports that Apple intends to bring Apple Intelligence to its Vision Pro headsets soon.
First unveiled in September 2023, Meta AI has been central to the company’s strategy of embedding AI into its services and hardware over the past ten months. This multimodal large language model (LLM) mirrors the capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, facilitating natural language interactions with users via text, voice, and more recently, visual inputs. Meta AI’s proficiency in understanding and responding to various inputs has already been integrated into platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, the Meta.AI web portal, and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
Quest 3: World’s First AI Assistant for AR/VR Headsets
In a recent post on the Meta Quest blog, Meta revealed that the Quest 3 headsets would be the next destination for its AI assistant. This move leverages the mixed-reality features of the Quest 3 to demonstrate the AI’s multimodal capabilities, particularly in interpreting and responding to real-time video and visual inputs. Meta AI will begin to roll out Quest 3 headsets next month, initially available to users in the US and Canada.
How to Access Meta AI on Quest 3
To enable Meta AI on Quest 3, users need to activate it in the Horizon OS Experimental panel found within the main Settings menu. Initially, interactions with Meta AI will be voice-based, which will allow users to query the AI on various topics or seek contextual information about nearby places to eat or visit. Additionally, users can incorporate their visual surroundings into prompts for the AI. Meta has indicated that the user experience will continue to improve over time, potentially expanding the use cases for the AI assistant.
A Glimpse into the Future
The videos accompanying the announcement offer a glimpse into Meta’s vision of the future, merging wearable technology with AR and AI. Meta remains committed to its VR/AR ambitions, and recent sightings of a new pair of smart glasses in a post by Mark Zuckerberg have fueled speculation about the company’s plans to introduce its long-rumored ‘true’ AR glasses later this year.
Prospects for Meta’s Smart Glasses
The new Quest experience might be an early indication of Meta’s aspirations for the smart glasses market in the coming years. While CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed forthcoming announcements regarding future frames, Meta’s AR smart glasses are reportedly still in the prototype stage. However, the integration of Meta AI into the Quest 3 sets a precedent for the potential capabilities of future wearable tech from Meta.
Conclusion
Meta’s introduction of its AI assistant to the Quest 3 mixed-reality headset marks a significant milestone in the integration of AI with AR/VR technology. This advancement not only positions Meta ahead of Apple in the AI-driven headset market but also showcases the potential future applications of AI in enhancing user experiences. As Meta continues to innovate, the Quest 3 headset offers a promising preview of the future intersection of wearable tech, AI, and augmented reality.
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