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Meta Introduces Orion, Its First Augmented Reality Smart Glasses
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Orion glasses are AI-powered and can be controlled by voice, gestures, and neural signals.
- The AR glasses are not available for sale yet, the company wants to improve the device before selling it to customers
- Meta also launched the new headset Quest S3, available for sale starting at $299
The tech giant Meta introduced yesterday its first Augmented Reality (AR) glasses prototype, Orion, during the company’s annual Connect conference.
The new glasses are AI-powered and include a neural interface. Users will be able to interact with it through voice, movement, and neural signals through a wristband, but it’s not available for sale yet. Orion glasses are for internal use, and the company expects to make them “more fashionable” and “smaller” for customers interested in the new technology, according to FT .
“We’re unveiling Orion, which we believe is the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made,” wrote the tech company in the press release . “Orion bridges the physical and virtual worlds, putting people at the center so they can be more present, connected, and empowered in the world.”
During the presentation, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, said that Orion is “a glimpse into the future” and shared more details. Zuckerberg acknowledged the technical challenges and highlighted that these new AR glasses can switch from 2D to 3D experiences, connect with people abroad through holograms, and games, and help people multitask.
Meta announced Orion: “the world’s most advanced AR glasses ever made” > Meta AI and Orion are multimodal and can understand everything you see > Comes with eye, hand, and neural tracking > Video calls turn friends into lifelike avatars next to you 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EzWHX0ZtUs — Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) September 25, 2024
“Voice is great, but the thing is sometimes public, and you don’t want to say what you’re trying to do . . . I think that you need a device that allows you to just send a signal from your brain to the device,” Zuckerberg said to emphasize the neural interface.
Metal also launched a new version of its headset Quest, the Quest S3, available for sale starting at $299, cheaper than its previous version according to CNBC .
The race for smart glasses has begun. Snap also announced new AR glasses just a few days ago, and Google and Samsung partnered with Qualcomm to build similar devices as well.
Image by Maxim Hopman, from Unsplash
Strategic AI Investment And Skilled Labor Essential For Economic Growth, Study Finds
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Countries investing in AI can boost productivity and economic growth significantly.
- Skilled labor and strong internet infrastructure enhance AI’s effectiveness.
- U.S. leads in AI patents, but the U.K. shows better production efficiency.
A new study announced yesterday by the University at Buffalo reveals that countries investing in AI can significantly enhance productivity and economic growth. However, the research emphasizes that a strategic approach is essential to fully leverage these advancements.
As AI takes center stage in technological innovation, understanding its business value is critical. While some research has examined firm-level impacts, the researchers state that a gap remains in the literature concerning country-level perspectives.
This study investigated the effect of AI innovation on production efficiency across nations, analyzing traditional economic inputs, such as capital and labor, alongside AI-related factors.
Published in the Decisions Analytics Journal , the study highlights that AI innovation, measured by the number of related patents and capital investment, is most effective when paired with a skilled labor force, and a robust internet infrastructure.
Co-author Raj Sharman, PhD, a professor of management science and systems, states,
“AI innovation has the potential to transform economies, but our study shows that more patents and investments do not automatically translate into higher production efficiency”
The study revealed that high-skilled labor is often necessary to integrate AI inputs into production. Nevertheless, the researchers note that as AI capabilities evolve, their impact of labor input may diminish.
Findings indicate that while the United States leads in AI innovation, with the highest number of patents, the United Kingdom boasts the best production efficiency.
“The U.K. has performed better despite its lower investment in AI because they’ve used their resources better and have more effectively integrated AI into their work,” said Sharman.
In contrast, China ranks fourth in AI innovation but exhibits the lowest production efficiency among the countries studied.
The researchers suggest that one possible explanation for this result is that China remains in the early phases of AI investment from the 2010s.
The researchers do nevertheless mention limitations in their study. Specifically, a small sample size and short observation periods, which restrict the generalizability of the results.
The researchers suggest that future research is recommended to use larger datasets and longer timeframes to capture the evolving dynamics of AI investments and their effects on production efficiency.
Finally, exploring the interaction of AI investments with regulatory factors, workforce education, and infrastructure quality could provide deeper insights.
The study’s findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and businesses seeking to harness the potential of AI.
According to these reusts, countries must focus on building a synergistic relationship between AI, skilled labor, and infrastructure to achieve optimal production efficiency and drive economic growth in the future.
