Meta's upcoming Connect developer conference is poised to be significantly influenced by artificial intelligence, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighting AI-powered smart glasses as the next frontier in human-computer interaction. Industry analysts, such as Forrester research director Mike Proulx, anticipate the event will be "virtually dominated by AI, specifically AI glasses and superintelligence." While Meta currently holds a lead in AI glasses, competition is rapidly intensifying.

Although a holographic augmented reality prototype named Orion, touted by Zuckerberg as "the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen," remains years away from market availability, Meta is expected to unveil new smart glasses. These new devices will likely feature a compact display and be controlled via a wristband worn by the user. According to Forrester's Thomas Husson, these glasses are envisioned as an "experimentation platform," offering functionalities such as accessing time, weather, notifications, framing and previewing pictures, displaying captions, translating speeches, and integrating Meta's own assets like WhatsApp and Instagram, alongside showcasing Meta AI responses.

Furthermore, updates to the existing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are also anticipated. These updates are expected to include enhanced AI capabilities, enabling the glasses to better interpret the user's surroundings and contextual information. Meta has indicated that these glasses have surpassed sales expectations, largely due to their adoption by social media creators, marking a potential shift beyond an early adopter niche for Zuckerberg's long-held vision of glasses and headsets blurring physical and digital realities.

Beyond hardware, Meta will undoubtedly share advancements in its AI initiatives, including its standalone Meta AI app. The company has been making substantial investments in AI development and recruiting top talent. Zuckerberg has articulated his vision for "personal superintelligence," which he believes will significantly "help humanity accelerate our pace of progress," asserting that its development is now "in sight." This concept of "superintelligence" aligns with what other tech firms refer to as artificial general intelligence (AGI), marking a new strategic direction for Zuckerberg after his significant pivot to the metaverse in 2021. He firmly believes that AI glasses will serve as "the main way we integrate superintelligence." Zuckerberg's keynote address is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern.