Meta Connect 2023: Quest 3, Meta AI, and other announcements
Meta has unveiled the Quest 3, its latest mixed reality (MR) headset. With a price tag of $499, the new device is $200 pricier than the previous model (Quest 2). However, it features a more powerful Qualcomm chip, enhanced screens, and a "passthrough" function expected to compete with Apple's forthcoming Vision Pro headset. Preorders for the Quest 3 are now open, and shipping is scheduled to start on October 10.
Enhanced comfort and "passthrough" feature
The Quest 3's most notable feature is its ability to give users a glimpse of the real world outside the headset, reducing feelings of isolation and making it more comfortable for extended use. By double-tapping any part of the headset while using an app, users can switch from the virtual environment to "passthrough" mode. Other improvements include "pancake lenses," first seen in Meta's $1,499 Quest Pro, which deliver sharper images and higher resolution.
A look at its specifications
The device bears a new headband strap and a slimmer headset shape. However, it is a tad heavier than its predecessor at 515g. The speakers have been improved. Meta has also updated the two controllers with better haptic feedback. It uses Snapdragon's XR2 Gen 2 chip. The extra power on the processor is used to power displays at (2064x2208 pixels) resolution per eye, higher than the Quest 2′s (1,832x1,920 pixels). Users can expect about 2.12 hours of battery life.
These games are coming to Meta Quest 3
Meta is bringing a bevy of games to its Quest 3 headset. They include Roblox, Assassin's Creed Nexus, Asgard's Wrath 2, and Supernatural. Meta's Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms, Arashi: Castles of Sin, and Arizona Sunshine II, are notable additions.
Meta introduces AI-powered creator tools for Facebook and Instagram
Meta has also unveiled a collection of AI-driven creator tools at its 2023 Connect event, aimed at enhancing user experiences on platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. The latest features include AI image editing on Instagram and AI-generated chat stickers. These tools permit users to edit images and craft stickers using text prompts, providing a more engaging and personalized experience across Meta's apps.
AI image editing features: Restyle and Backdrop
Instagram's AI-powered photo editing introduces two innovative features: Restyle and Backdrop. Restyle enables users to enter a text prompt, such as "watercolor" or "magazine collage," to transform the existing image accordingly. The backdrop feature utilizes a text prompt to produce new AI-created backgrounds for images, like "surround me with puppies." Meta intends to identify AI-generated images and is considering labeling options, including visible as well as invisible markers, to help users distinguish between synthetic and human-generated content.
AI-generated stickers powered by Llama 2
The AI-generated stickers feature will introduce more synthetic content to Meta's platforms. Users can design stickers using text prompts, generating multiple unique stickers in just seconds. This feature is powered by Meta's large language model Llama 2, which was initially unveiled in February and open-sourced in July to compete with ChatGPT. The AI-generated stickers will be accessible on Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories and DMs, Messenger, and WhatsApp for select English language users over the next month.
AI tools becoming a trend across social media platforms
Tech companies are progressively launching AI-powered tools that offer enhanced and personalized versions of existing features. AI image editing and generation have been seen before, with YouTube announcing similar tools earlier in September. YouTube's Dream Screen feature employs text prompts to create AI backgrounds for YouTube Shorts, while future plans involve enabling creators to edit existing content using AI. As social media platforms adopt AI tools, the landscape of content creation and consumption continues to transform.
Meta AI is a chatbot assistant for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
Meta is launching a versatile AI chatbot assistant, designed to help with tasks like trip planning and answering search engine questions. This AI will be integrated into popular messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Built on a custom-made LLM, Meta's AI chatbot is based on the core principles of Llama 2, the company's latest quasi-open source model. By partnering with Microsoft's Bing, Meta's AI chatbot offers real-time web results, setting it apart from other free AI chatbots.
Meta is bringing in 28 AI characters
Meta has also revealed an AI image generator called Expressive Media Universe (EMU). It can generate images similar to Midjourney or OpenAI's DALL-E using the prompt "/imagine." You just need to give a prompt and in about five seconds, the tool will generate the image. The picture will carry a watermark. For the Meta AI chatbot, the company is initially introducing 28 AI characters across its messaging apps, featuring celebs like Kendall Jenner, MrBeast, Snoop Dogg, and Paris Hilton.
"Embodiments" are used to create an immersive chatbot experience
These AI characters from Meta have a unique aspect called "embodiments," which subtly animates their profile images based on the conversation. This feature offers a more immersive experience compared to traditional 2D chatbots. Ahmad Al-Dahle, Meta's VP of generative AI, shares that the firm spent 6,000 hours red-teaming the model to identify problematic use cases and that workers have been engaging in thousands of conversations with it daily in preparation for the launch.
Future integration with social media data is planned
Although Meta AI isn't currently trained on public user data from Instagram and Facebook, Al-Dahle hints that such integration might be on the horizon. This could lead to exciting use cases that other chatbots can't match, like asking the AI to "show me reels from the south of Italy." Al-Dahle envisions a lengthy roadmap for incorporating social media data into the AI assistant to make it even more helpful.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are also here
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses feature small camera lenses on the right temple of each frame, capable of snapping 12MP photos and recording 1080p videos. With 32GB of internal storage, users can store around 500 photos and 100 30-second videos. The Meta View app enables users to sync and share their captures across Meta's various platforms. Plus, livestreaming to Facebook or Instagram is now just a few taps away on the glasses' stem.
The glasses support Meta AI
The new Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are powered by Meta AI. So, you can simply summon 'Hey Meta' and get answers to your queries or get stuff done. Priced at $299, these innovative glasses aim to replace headphones by offering a personal audio system, similar to Amazon's Echo Frames. They boast an improved microphone system with five mics, including one in the nose bridge, ensuring clearer calls and voice commands. The smart glasses will go on sale from October 17.
New styles and improved battery life
In collaboration with Ray-Ban, Meta has introduced new colors and lens options for the smart glasses, as well as a rounder style called Headliner, alongside the classic Wayfarer. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 processor, the glasses feature "on-glass AI" in a sub-one-watt package. Meta claims that the battery life will last between four and six hours of active use, with the included case providing up to eight additional charges.
