Meta

Meta launches AI smart glasses with Ray-Ban and Oakley

Zuckerberg’s Meta has unveiled a new generation of smart glasses powered by AI at its annual Meta Connect conference in California. Working with Ray-Ban and Oakley, the company introduced devices including the Meta Ray-Ban Display and the Oakley Meta Vanguard.

These glasses are designed to bring the Meta AI assistant into daily use instead of being confined to phones or computers.

The Ray-Ban Display comes with a colour lens screen for video calls and messaging and a 12-megapixel camera, and will sell for $799. It can be paired with a neural wristband that enables tasks through hand gestures.

Meta also presented $499 Oakley Vanguard glasses aimed at sports fans and launched a second generation of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses at $379. Around two million smart glasses have been sold since Meta entered the market in 2023.

Analysts see the glasses as a more practical way of introducing AI to everyday life than the firm’s costly Metaverse project. Yet many caution that Meta must prove the benefits outweigh the price.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg described the technology as a scientific breakthrough. He said it forms part of Meta’s vast AI investment programme, which includes massive data centres and research into artificial superintelligence.

The launch came as activists protested outside Meta’s New York headquarters, accusing the company of neglecting children’s safety. Former safety researchers also told the US Senate that Meta ignored evidence of harm caused by its VR products, claims the company has strongly denied.

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Meta set to unveil $800 smart glasses with display

Meta is set to unveil its first pair of smart glasses with a built-in display at its annual Connect conference in California.

Expected to be called Celeste, the glasses will debut at around $800 and feature a small digital display in the right lens for notifications. Analysts say the higher price point could limit adoption compared with Meta’s Ray-Ban line, which starts at $299.

Alongside the new glasses, Meta is also expected to launch its first wristband for hand-gesture control and an updated Ray-Ban line with better cameras, battery life and AI features. Developers will gain access to a new software kit to build device apps.

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AI smart glasses give blind users new independence

Smart glasses powered by AI give people with vision loss new ways to navigate daily life, from cooking to crossing the street.

Users like Andrew Tutty in Ontario say the devices restore independence, helping with tasks such as identifying food or matching clothes. Others, like Emilee Schevers, rely on them to confirm traffic signals before crossing the road.

The AI glasses, developed by Meta, are cheaper than many other assistive devices, which can cost thousands. They connect to smartphones, using voice commands and apps like Be My Eyes to describe surroundings or link with volunteers.

Experts, however, caution that the glasses come with significant privacy concerns. Built-in cameras stream everything within view to large tech firms, raising questions about surveillance, data use and algorithmic reliability.

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Meta and TikTok win court challenge over EU fee

Europe’s General Court has backed challenges by Meta Platforms and TikTok against an EU supervisory fee imposed under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The companies argued that the levy was calculated unfairly and imposed a disproportionate financial burden.

The supervisory fee, introduced in 2022, requires large platforms to pay 0.05% of their annual global net income to cover monitoring costs. Meta and TikTok said the methodology relied on flawed data, inflated their fees, and even double-counted users.

Their lawyers told the court the process lacked transparency and produced ‘implausible’ results.

Lawyers for the European Commission defended the fee, arguing that group-wide financial resources justified the calculation method. They said the companies had adequate information about how the levy was determined.

The ruling reduces pressure on the two firms as they continue investing in the EU market. A final judgement from the General Court is expected next year and may shape how supervisory costs are applied to other major platforms.

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CJEU annuls DSA fees for Meta and TikTok

The General Court of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has annulled the European Commission’s 2023 supervisory fee decisions for Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

These platforms, designated as ‘huge online platforms’ (VLOP), were charged annual fees based on their average monthly user base to fund the EU oversight activities.

In 2024, Meta and TikTok filed a legal complaint against the Commission’s decision before the General Court of the CJEU.

The General Court found that the Commission improperly used implementing decisions to apply a key methodology for calculating user numbers, an essential element under the DSA that should have been established via a delegated act. As a result, this procedural misstep led to the annulment of the decisions.

However, the General Court did not dispute the platforms’ obligation to pay the fees. To avoid disruption, it has provisionally upheld the effects of the annulled decisions for up to 12 months.

Last, this gives the Commission time to revise its methodology in line with DSA requirements and issue new decisions.

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Meta to spend $600 billion on US data centres by 2028

Meta has plans to spend at least $600 billion on US data centres and AI infrastructure by 2028. The forecast, reported by The Information, was shared by CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a dinner with President Donald Trump and other technology leaders.

Capital expenditure is set to rise sharply over the next three years. Meta projects spending of $66–72 billion in 2025, nearly 70% higher than 2024, with another significant increase expected in 2026.

The company said the surge in investment will be driven primarily by the need to expand AI computing power.

Zuckerberg confirmed that Meta aims to deploy more than one million GPUs to train its next generation of AI models.

The company is also investing heavily in talent and infrastructure as it builds a dedicated team focused on developing artificial super intelligence, a concept referring to AI systems with capabilities beyond those of humans.

The spending commitment highlights how major US technology companies are racing to secure computing capacity for AI. Meta is pledging ‘hundreds of billions of dollars’ towards expanding its data centre footprint in the years ahead.

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Mistral AI pushes growth with new funding and global deals

Founded in 2023 by ex-Google DeepMind and Meta researchers, Mistral has quickly gained global attention with its open-source models and consumer app, which hit one million downloads within two weeks of launch.

Mistral AI is now seeking fresh funding at a reported $14 billion valuation, more than double its worth just a year ago. Its investors include Microsoft, Nvidia, Cisco, and Bpifrance, and it has signed partnerships with AFP, Stellantis, Orange, and France’s army.

Its growing suite of models spans large language, audio, coding, and reasoning systems, while its enterprise tools integrate with services such as Asana and Google Drive. French president Emmanuel Macron has openly endorsed the firm, framing it as a strategic alternative to US dominance in AI.

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Singapore mandates Meta to tackle scams or risk $1 million penalty

In a landmark move, Singapore police have issued their first implementation directive under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) to tech giant Meta, requiring the company to tackle scam activity on Facebook or face fines of up to $1 million.

Announced on 3 September by Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2025, the directive targets scam advertisements, fake profiles, and impersonation of government officials, particularly Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and former Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen. The measure is part of Singapore’s intensified crackdown on government official impersonation scams (GOIS), which have surged in 2025.

According to mid-year police data, Gois cases nearly tripled to 1,762 in the first half of 2025, up from 589 in the same period last year. Financial losses reached $126.5 million, a 90% increase from 2024.
PM Wong previously warned the public about deepfake ads using his image to promote fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes and immigration services.

Meta responded that impersonation and deceptive ads violate its policies and are removed when detected. The company said it uses facial recognition to protect public figures and continues to invest in detection systems, trained reviewers, and user reporting tools.

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Key AI researchers depart Apple for rivals Meta and OpenAI

Apple is confronting a significant exodus of AI talent, with key researchers departing for rival firms instead of advancing projects in-house.

The company lost its lead robotics researcher, Jian Zhang, to Meta’s Robotics Studio, alongside several core Foundation Models team members responsible for the Apple Intelligence platform. The brain drain has triggered internal concerns about Apple’s strategic direction and declining staff morale.

Instead of relying entirely on its own systems, Apple is reportedly considering a shift towards using external AI models. The departures include experts like Ruoming Pang, who accepted a multi-year package from Meta reportedly worth $200 million.

Other AI researchers are set to join leading firms like OpenAI and Anthropic, highlighting a fierce industry-wide battle for specialised expertise.

At the centre of the talent war is Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, offering lucrative packages worth up to $100 million to secure leading researchers for Meta’s ambitious AI and robotics initiatives.

The aggressive recruitment strategy is strengthening Meta’s capabilities while simultaneously weakening the internal development efforts of competitors like Apple.

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Political backlash mounts as Meta revises AI safety policies

Meta has announced that it will train its AI chatbot to prioritise the safety of teenage users and will no longer engage with them on sensitive topics such as self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders.

These are described as interim measures, with more robust safety policies expected in the future. The company also plans to restrict teenagers’ access to certain AI characters that could lead to inappropriate conversations, limiting them to characters focused on education and creativity.

The move follows a Reuters report that revealed that Meta’s AI had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with underage users, TechCrunch reports. Meta has since revised the internal document cited in the report, stating that it was inconsistent with the company’s broader policies.

The revelations have prompted significant political and legal backlash. Senator Josh Hawley has launched an official investigation into Meta’s AI practices.

At the same time, a coalition of 44 state attorneys general has written to several AI companies, including Meta, emphasising the need to protect children online.

The letter condemned the apparent disregard for young people’s emotional well-being and warned that the AI’s behaviour may breach criminal laws.

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