Meta expands AI wearables while tightening visual data privacy

Meta introduced a new AI‑focused accessory and updated its Ray‑Ban Meta glasses as it tightens control over visual data collected from wearers.

The Muse Charm, a pocket‑sized device that runs Meta’s Muse AI, arrives alongside a firmware update that lets users block their smart‑glass footage from future model training. The same update adds holographic avatar support and launches two new frame styles—Aviator and Zena—while expanding availability to five additional markets this fall.

Muse Charm expands Meta’s AI accessories

Muse Charm resembles a retro Tamagotchi, but its screen hosts a conversational AI instead of a pixel pet. The device pairs via Bluetooth with Meta’s Ray‑Ban smart glasses, allowing users to query Muse without pulling down a phone. Its form factor is deliberately minimal: a rectangular badge that clips to a shirt collar or bag strap. The AI engine runs locally for basic tasks, deferring more complex queries to the cloud.

According to Engadget, the Charm device is the first hardware extension of Meta’s Muse platform beyond the glasses themselves. It does not replace the glasses; rather, it provides a discrete input channel when the wearer cannot look through a display. The device’s battery life is quoted as lasting several days on a single charge, a modest improvement over early‑generation wearables that required daily charging.

Privacy shift: opt‑out training on visual data

Meta announced that users can now opt out of having visual data from their smart glasses used to train future AI models. The change applies retroactively, meaning footage already stored on Meta’s servers will be excluded if the user toggles the setting. The policy is enforced at the account level, and Meta promises no degradation of core features for opted‑out users.

Engadget notes that the move follows a contractor’s sigh of relief after a recent internal audit highlighted the breadth of data collected. The opt‑out does not affect the device’s ability to run on‑device inference, but it does limit the amount of real‑world imagery that Meta can feed into its training pipelines. The company frames the option as a “privacy‑first” feature, though critics point out that the default remains opt‑in, preserving the bulk of the dataset for future releases.

Gen 3 Ray‑Ban Meta glasses get hardware tweaks

The latest Ray‑Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses arrive with two new frame styles: Aviator and Zena. Both retain the same 5‑megapixel cameras and custom‑tuned waveguide displays introduced in the previous generation, but Meta upgraded the battery chemistry to extend usage time by roughly 20 percent, according to the hands‑on report.

Engadget’s review highlights a price hike that accompanies the hardware refresh, though the exact figure is omitted. The price increase reflects the cost of the larger battery and the addition of holographic avatar support, a feature that renders a 3‑D representation of the user in mixed‑reality calls. The avatars track facial expressions using the glasses’ inward‑facing cameras, projecting the model onto the wearer’s upper‑facial area.

Collaborations and market rollout

Meta’s next smart‑glass collaboration pairs the hardware with Blackpink member Lisa, targeting the K‑pop fanbase. The partnership will embed a custom avatar skin that mirrors Lisa’s signature look, overlaying it on the user’s upper‑facial area during video calls. The collaboration is a continuation of Meta’s strategy to fuse celebrity branding with its wearables, a tactic previously seen with other pop culture tie‑ins.

The updated glasses will launch in five new markets this fall, expanding beyond the current North American and European footprint. Engadget lists the new regions as parts of Asia and South America, though exact country names are not disclosed. The broader rollout aligns with Meta’s push to capture a larger share of the emerging mixed‑reality market, which analysts estimate to be worth several billion dollars within the next five years.

What to watch

The next quarter will reveal whether the opt‑out for visual data training impacts the quality of Meta’s upcoming AI features. Observers should track usage metrics for Muse Charm, especially adoption rates among enterprise customers who may value the discrete AI interface. Finally, the performance of the Blackpink‑Lisa avatar in real‑world calls will indicate whether celebrity‑driven skins translate into sustained hardware sales across the newly opened markets.

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