Meta Platforms, Inc. and EssilorLuxottica have officially launched the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the United Arab Emirates, unveiling the new tech-forward eyewear during an exclusive event on May 7 at Gitano Beach Club.
The collection will be available across all Ray-Ban stores and partner opticians in the UAE starting May 12.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses combine stylish design with cutting-edge technology, offering users hands-free photo and video capture, discreet audio playback through open-ear speakers, and access to built-in Meta AI.
The glasses allow for real-time translations—including sign language—voice-activated search, and contextual AR experiences such as landmark information, menu translations, or recipe suggestions based on visible items.
A standout feature is the livestreaming function, enabling users to broadcast directly to Instagram Live or Facebook Live for up to 30 minutes from their own point of view.
Users can toggle between the glasses and their phone camera, creating immersive, real-time content. The MetaAI companion app (iOS and Android) also supports easy content import, editing, and special effects.
The glasses include five microphones and upgraded audio hardware for clearer sound and ambient awareness.
Live language translation support—covering Spanish, French, Italian, and English—even while offline—is expected to launch in the UAE later this year. Software updates will continue enhancing the glasses’ AI capabilities over time.
Offered in styles such as Wayfarer, Wayfarer Large, and the universally fitting Skyler, Ray-Ban Meta glasses are available with prescription, sun, clear, polarised, or Transitions® lenses.
Prices start at AED 1,330 and include a sleek charging case. The glasses support pairing with multiple devices and offer a blend of fashion, function, and future-ready innovation.
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The shift comes as users increasingly turn to AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, which offer direct and conversational responses without the need to browse traditional websites.
In response, Apple is now exploring a major revamp of Safari to better integrate AI-driven search capabilities.
AI is gradually reshaping how people interact with information online, posing a serious challenge to Google’s long-standing dominance. Cue noted that although current AI tools are not perfect, they are rapidly improving and may soon offer compelling alternatives to traditional search engines.
Apple currently supports ChatGPT within Siri and may soon include Google’s Gemini AI, as it continues to diversify the digital search options available on its platforms.
The shift is especially significant given Google’s $20 billion annual deal to remain Safari’s default search engine. The US justice department is scrutinising these types of agreements in its case against Google’s parent company, Alphabet, suggesting such arrangements limit genuine competition.
Cue stressed that AI has opened the door to new players in the search market and that true competition only arises when technological disruption invites innovation.
As large language models grow more advanced, their appeal increases—despite occasional errors known as hallucinations.
AI tools offer richer, more intuitive user experiences, often skipping the step of clicking through to websites. While this threatens traffic for content providers, it also underscores a pivotal shift: AI is no longer just a feature—it is transforming how people seek and consume information.
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Federal regulators have accused Amazon of deliberately concealing incriminating evidence in an ongoing antitrust case by abusing privilege claims. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Amazon wrongly withheld nearly 70,000 documents, withdrawing 92% of its claims after a judge forced a re-review.
The FTC claims Amazon marked non-legal documents as privileged to keep them from scrutiny. Internal emails suggest staff were told to mislabel communications by including legal teams unnecessarily.
One email reportedly called former CEO Jeff Bezos the ‘chief dark arts officer,’ referring to questionable Prime subscription tactics.
The documents revealed issues such as widespread involuntary Prime sign-ups and efforts to manipulate search results in favour of Amazon’s products. Regulators said these practices show Amazon intended to hide evidence rather than make honest errors.
The FTC is now seeking a 90-day extension for discovery and wants Amazon to cover the additional legal costs. It claims the delay and concealment gave Amazon an unfair strategic advantage instead of allowing a level playing field.
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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has moved to break up Google’s advertising technology business after a federal judge ruled that the company holds illegal monopolies across two markets.
The DOJ is seeking the sale of Google’s AdX digital advertising marketplace and its DFP platform, which helps publishers manage their ad inventory.
It follows a ruling in April by Federal Judge Leonie Brinkema, who found that Google’s dominance in the online advertising market violated antitrust laws.
AdX and DFP were key acquisitions for Google, particularly the purchase of DoubleClick in 2008 for $3.1 billion. The DOJ argues that Google used monopolistic tactics, such as acquisitions and customer lock-ins, to control the ad tech market and stifle competition.
In response, Google has disputed the DOJ’s move, claiming the proposed sale of its advertising tools exceeds the court’s findings and could harm publishers and advertisers.
The DOJ’s latest filing also comes amid a separate legal action over Google’s Chrome browser, and the company is facing additional scrutiny in the UK for its dominance in the online search market.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that Google engaged in anti-competitive practices in open-display advertising technology.
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Crypto developers scored a major win after a US judge ruled that Apple violated a court injunction by continuing to restrict off-app purchases. The ruling stops Apple from blocking external payment links and removes fees on out-of-app purchases.
Effective immediately, developers can direct users to outside payment systems without facing Apple’s usual 30% charge. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasised that the court’s 2021 injunction was not open to negotiation. She warned Apple that further attempts to control competition would not be tolerated.
The crypto community sees the decision as a breakthrough. Developers can now link to NFT collections and external platforms without additional permissions.
Industry voices like Alex Masmej and crypto analyst Xero called the ruling ‘hugely bullish,’ suggesting a major shift for mobile-based crypto projects.
Epic Games has also announced plans to relaunch Fortnite on the US App Store following the ruling.
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Nvidia is planning to redesign its AI chips to comply with tightened US export restrictions, aiming to retain its foothold in China instead of pulling back.
According to a report by The Information, the chipmaker has already informed major Chinese clients, such as Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent, about its revised strategy. The discussions reportedly occurred during CEO Jensen Huang’s visit to Beijing in mid-April.
The visit came just after Washington expanded its curbs on high-performance AI chip exports to China, specifically targeting Nvidia’s H20 chip.
Originally developed to meet earlier US rules, the H20 has now also been deemed too powerful for export under the new regulations. The US government says the move is aimed at preventing China’s military from accessing cutting-edge AI.
Nvidia previously warned that the latest restrictions could cost it up to $5.5 billion in lost revenue. Instead of backing away, the company is now preparing redesigned chips to stay within legal bounds while continuing to serve Chinese tech firms.
Customers have been told that prototype chips could be ready by June.
In addition, Nvidia is developing a tailored version of its next-generation AI chip, Blackwell, specifically for China. These efforts underline Nvidia’s attempt to balance regulatory compliance with its commercial interests in one of the world’s largest AI markets.
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Google has warned that proposed remedies in the ongoing US antitrust case, including a possible sell-off of Chrome, could expose users to data breaches and national security threats. Arguing that Google’s infrastructure is key to protecting Chrome against rising cyberattacks.
Google cited past breaches to emphasise the risks of moving such tools to buyers lacking similar security standards. The Justice Department, however, maintains that breaking up Google’s dominance would encourage fairer competition.
Proposals include banning exclusive deals, sharing user data to support rivals, and enabling Apple or others to shift default search settings. An economic expert testified these remedies could reduce Google’s market share from 88% to 51%, though full impact would take years to materialise.
Judge Amit Mehta raised concerns that dismantling Google’s monopoly might simply replace it with another, such as Microsoft. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is set to testify next, as the case continues through 9 May in the US.
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The Trump administration is reviewing a Biden-era rule that restricts global access to US-made advanced AI chips, with discussions underway to eliminate the current tiered system that governs chip exports, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The existing rule, known as the Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion, was introduced by the US Department of Commerce in January and is set to take effect on 15 May.
It divides the world into three groups: trusted allies (like the EU and Taiwan) with unlimited access, Tier 2 countries with chip quotas, and restricted countries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Officials are considering replacing this structure with a global licensing regime based on government-to-government agreements—aligning with Donald Trump’s broader trade strategy of negotiating bilateral deals and using US-made chips as leverage.
Other possible changes include tightening export thresholds: under current rules, orders under the equivalent of 1,700 Nvidia H100 chips only require notification, not a licence. The new proposal could reduce that threshold to around 500 chips.
Supporters of the change argue it would increase US bargaining power and simplify enforcement. Critics, however, warn that scrapping the tier system may complicate compliance and drive countries toward Chinese chip alternatives.
Tech firms such as Oracle and Nvidia, along with several US lawmakers, have criticised the current framework, saying it risks harming American competitiveness and pushing international buyers toward cheaper, unregulated Chinese substitutes.
The Commerce Department declined to comment.
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Meta hosted its first-ever LlamaCon, a high-profile developer conference centred around its open-source language models. Timed to coincide with the release of its Q1 earnings, the event showcased Llama 4, Meta’s newest and most powerful open-weight model yet.
The message was clear – Meta wants to lead the next generation of AI on its own terms, and with an open-source edge. Beyond presentations, the conference represented an attempt to reframe Meta’s public image.
Once defined by social media and privacy controversies, Meta is positioning itself as a visionary AI infrastructure company. LlamaCon wasn’t just about a model. It was about a movement Meta wants to lead, with developers, startups, and enterprises as co-builders.
By holding LlamaCon the same week as its earnings call, Meta strategically emphasised that its AI ambitions are not side projects. They are central to the company’s identity, strategy, and investment priorities moving forward. This convergence of messaging signals a bold new chapter in Meta’s evolution.
The rise of Llama: From open-source curiosity to strategic priority
When Meta introduced LLaMA 1 in 2023, the AI community took notice of its open-weight release policy. Unlike OpenAI and Anthropic, Meta allowed researchers and developers to download, fine-tune, and deploy Llama models on their own infrastructure. That decision opened a floodgate of experimentation and grassroots innovation.
Now with Llama 4, the models have matured significantly, featuring better instruction tuning, multilingual capacity, and improved safety guardrails. Meta’s AI researchers have incorporated lessons learned from previous iterations and community feedback, making Llama 4 an update and a strategic inflexion point.
Crucially, Meta is no longer releasing Llama as a research novelty. It is now a platform and stable foundation for third-party tools, enterprise solutions, and Meta’s AI products. That is a turning point, where open-source ideology meets enterprise-grade execution.
Zuckerberg’s bet: AI as the engine of Meta’s next chapter
Mark Zuckerberg has rarely shied away from bold, long-term bets—whether it’s the pivot to mobile in the early 2010s or the more recent metaverse gamble. At LlamaCon, he clarified that AI is now the company’s top priority, surpassing even virtual reality in strategic importance.
He framed Meta as a ‘general-purpose AI company’, focused on both the consumer layer (via chatbots and assistants) and the foundational layer (models and infrastructure). Meta CEO envisions a world where Meta powers both the AI you talk to and the AI your apps are built on—a dual play that rivals Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI.
This bet comes with risk. Investors are still sceptical about Meta’s ability to turn research breakthroughs into a commercial advantage. But Zuckerberg seems convinced that whoever controls the AI stack—hardware, models, and tooling—will control the next decade of innovation, and Meta intends to be one of those players.
A costly future: Meta’s massive AI infrastructure investment
Meta’s capital expenditure guidance for 2025—$60 to $65 billion—is among the largest in tech history. These funds will be spent primarily on AI training clusters, data centres, and next-gen chips.
That level of spending underscores Meta’s belief that scale is a competitive advantage in the LLM era. Bigger compute means faster training, better fine-tuning, and more responsive inference—especially for billion-parameter models like Llama 4 and beyond.
However, such an investment raises questions about whether Meta can recoup this spending in the short term. Will it build enterprise services, or rely solely on indirect value via engagement and ads? At this point, no monetisation plan is directly tied to Llama—only a vision and the infrastructure to support it.
Economic clouds: Revenue growth vs Wall Street’s expectations
Meta reported an 11% year-over-year increase in revenue in Q1 2025, driven by steady performance across its ad platforms. However, Wall Street reacted negatively, with the company’s stock falling nearly 13% following the earnings report, because investors are worried about the ballooning costs associated with Meta’s AI ambitions.
Despite revenue growth, Meta’s margins are thinning, mainly due to front-loaded investments in infrastructure and R&D. While Meta frames these as essential for long-term dominance in AI, investors are still anchored to short-term profit expectations.
A fundamental tension is at play here – Meta is acting like a venture-stage AI startup with moonshot spending, while being valued as a mature, cash-generating public company. Whether this tension resolves through growth or retrenchment remains to be seen.
Global headwinds: China, tariffs, and the shifting tech supply chain
Beyond internal financial pressures, Meta faces growing external challenges. Trade tensions between the US and China have disrupted the global supply chain for semiconductors, AI chips, and data centre components.
Meta’s international outlook is dimming with tariffs increasing and Chinese advertising revenue falling. That is particularly problematic because Meta’s AI infrastructure relies heavily on global suppliers and fabrication facilities. Any disruption in chip delivery, especially GPUs and custom silicon, could derail its training schedules and deployment timelines.
At the same time, Meta is trying to rebuild its hardware supply chain, including in-house chip design and alternative sourcing from regions like India and Southeast Asia. These moves are defensive but reflect how AI strategy is becoming inseparable from geopolitics.
Llama 4 in context: How it compares to GPT-4 and Gemini
Llama 4 represents a significant leap from Llama 2 and is now comparable to GPT-4 in a range of benchmarks. Early feedback suggests strong performance in logic, multilingual reasoning, and code generation.
However, how it handles tool use, memory, and advanced agentic tasks is still unclear. Compared to Gemini 1.5, Google’s flagship model, Llama 4 may still fall short in certain use cases, especially those requiring long context windows and deep integration with other Google services.
But Llama has one powerful advantage – it’s free to use, modify, and self-host. That makes Llama 4 a compelling option for developers and companies seeking control over their AI stack without paying per-token fees or exposing sensitive data to third parties.
Open source vs closed AI: Strategic gamble or masterstroke?
Meta’s open-weight philosophy differentiates it from rivals, whose models are mainly gated, API-bound, and proprietary. By contrast, Meta freely gives away its most valuable assets, such as weights, training details, and documentation.
Openness drives adoption. It creates ecosystems, accelerates tooling, and builds developer goodwill. Meta’s strategy is to win the AI competition not by charging rent, but by giving others the keys to build on its models. In doing so, it hopes to shape the direction of AI development globally.
Still, there are risks. Open weights can be misused, fine-tuned for malicious purposes, or leaked into products Meta doesn’t control. But Meta is betting that being everywhere is more powerful than being gated. And so far, that bet is paying off—at least in influence, if not yet in revenue.
Can Meta’s open strategy deliver long-term returns?
Meta’s LlamaCon wasn’t just a tech event but a philosophical declaration. In an era where AI power is increasingly concentrated and monetised, Meta chooses a different path based on openness, infrastructure, and community adoption.
The company invests tens of billions of dollars without a clear monetisation model. It is placing a massive bet that open models and proprietary infrastructure can become the dominant framework for AI development.
Meta’s move positions it as the Android of the LLM era—ubiquitous, flexible, and impossible to ignore. The road ahead will be shaped by both technical breakthroughs and external forces—regulation, economics, and geopolitics.
Whether Meta’s open-source gamble proves visionary or reckless, one thing is clear – the AI landscape is no longer just about who has the most innovative model. It’s about who builds the broadest ecosystem.
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The European Commission is facing growing criticism after a joint investigation revealed that Big Tech companies had disproportionate influence over the drafting of the EU’s Code of Practice on General Purpose AI.
The report, published by Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, claims firms such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI were granted privileged access to shaping the voluntary code, which aims to help companies comply with the upcoming AI Act.
While 13 Commission-appointed experts led the process and over 1,000 participants were involved in feedback workshops, civil society groups and smaller stakeholders were largely side-lined.
Their input was often limited to reacting through emojis on an online platform instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, the report found.
The US government also waded into the debate, sending a letter to the Commission opposing the Code. The Trump administration argued the EU’s digital regulations would stifle innovation.
Critics meanwhile say the EU’s current approach opens the door to Big Tech lobbying, potentially weakening the Code’s effectiveness just as it nears finalisation.
Although the Code was due in early May, it is now expected by June or July, just before new rules on general-purpose AI tools come into force in August.
The Commission has yet to confirm the revised timeline.
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