Meta Unveils Next-Gen AI-Powered Smart Glasses Amid Tech Glitches at Connect 2025
Menlo Park, California — In an ambitious showcase at the Meta Connect 2025 event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled what he’s dubbing “the next generation of Meta Ray-Ban glasses.” However, the presentation faced multiple setbacks during live demonstrations on Wednesday.
The keynote kicked off with an intriguing point-of-view segment, where Zuckerberg donned the smart glasses, set his entrance music, and made his way from his trailer to the stage, giving attendees a glimpse of the technology in action.
Launched on September 30, 2025, the new Meta Ray-Ban Display is priced at $799 and boasts impressive features, including double the battery life, 3K video capabilities, and significantly enhanced resolution compared to its predecessor. Zuckerberg highlighted the evolving role of Meta AI during his speech, stating, “Meta AI is shifting from just being a tool you rely on for questions to a constant assistant throughout your day.”
However, the live demonstrations didn’t go as planned. The first hiccup came when Zuckerberg introduced a segment featuring renowned chef and official “grillmaster” of the Buffalo Bills, Jack Mancuso. Mancuso attempted to use the glasses to create a Korean-inspired steak sauce.
“Hey, Meta, start live AI,” Mancuso prompted. The AI quickly engaged, complimenting the setup of ingredients and asking how it could assist. Despite being provided with a table full of ingredients, the AI misinterpreted the situation, suggesting, “You already combined the base ingredients, so now grate a pair to add to the sauce,” indicating it believed the cooking had already begun.
Frustrated, Mancuso reiterated, “What do I do first?” but the glasses again provided the same incorrect instructions. With the demo stalling, Mancuso speculated that the Wi-Fi may have been to blame. “I think the Wi-Fi might be messed up,” he shrugged before returning the focus back to Zuckerberg.
Addressing the technical difficulties, Zuckerberg took the mishap in stride. “It’s all good,” he reassured the audience, adding with a hint of irony, “The irony of the whole thing is that you spend years creating technology, and then the Wi-Fi on the day kind of catches you.”
Later in the event, Zuckerberg attempted to showcase the glasses’ texting feature with Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, but face-to-face video calls failed to initiate as planned. “That’s too bad. I don’t know what happened,” he remarked.
Eventually, Bosworth joined Zuckerberg on stage, where they successfully demonstrated a conversation between two Meta Ray-Ban users. The glasses provided real-time subtitles of the dialogue, hinting at a potentially transformative tool for those with hearing impairments. “If you have an issue hearing, I think this is going to be a game changer,” Zuckerberg noted.
For those interested, the full video of the keynote speech is available online. The Meta Connect 2025 conference will continue until Thursday, showcasing ongoing advancements in augmented reality technologies.