Meta has begun rolling out specific AI features for its Ray-Ban Meta augmented reality (AR) glasses in France, Italy, and Spain. This update allows users in these countries to interact with Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, through voice commands. Users can ask general questions, such as seeking gift suggestions for children, with support now available in French, Italian, and Spanish, in addition to English.
In a recent blog post, Meta explained its efforts to navigate Europe’s complex regulatory landscape since the glasses’ launch in September 2023. The company expressed excitement about bringing these AI capabilities to parts of the European Union (EU) and its plans to expand to more countries in the region.
However, some features available in other regions, like the ability to answer questions about what the glasses’ camera sees, are not yet part of the European rollout. Meta attributed this limitation to ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with EU regulations, adding that it aims to introduce these multimodal capabilities to more countries in the future.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses feature a built-in microphone and front-facing camera, enabling their AI-powered functionalities. Yet, Meta’s operations in Europe have faced challenges due to strict regulatory requirements, particularly under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the forthcoming AI Act.
Meta has raised concerns about the unpredictability of the AI Act’s implementation and the GDPR’s implications for AI model training. The company’s models rely on public data from Instagram and Facebook users who haven’t opted out. This data, however, is subject to GDPR protections, which led EU regulators to request earlier this year that Meta halt training on European user data while compliance was assessed.
In response, Meta temporarily stopped training its AI models on such data, later revising its opt-out process to address regulatory feedback. This adjustment allowed the company to resume AI training in the U.K. in the fall and bring selected AI features to the glasses in the U.K. and six other countries. However, Meta has not yet provided further updates on its training practices in other parts of the EU.
This rollout represents Meta’s cautious but determined approach to introducing AI technologies in Europe, balancing innovation with regulatory demands. The company’s plans to expand and enhance these features reflect its commitment to complying with the region’s legal frameworks while continuing to develop cutting-edge AI solutions.
