Meta bets on AI agents, wearable devices

Meta is stepping up its push into consumer-focused AI agents and AI-powered wearable devices, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg describing the current period as a “wild time to be building”.

Speaking at the company’s annual Connect conference, Zuckerberg said views remained divided over the future direction of the industry, arguing that the ultimate goal of superintelligence should be creativity and innovation rather than automation.

He pushed back against calls by rival companies to slow the development of advanced AI, saying the path to a safer future lies in making the technology widely available with appropriate checks and balances rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few.

Meta is also continuing to develop AI-powered wearable devices, which Zuckerberg believes could eventually replace smartphones as the primary way people interact with technology.

At the conference, the company unveiled updates to its smart glasses and virtual reality devices, allowing users to control interfaces through voice, eye movements and hand and finger gestures.