Meta Connect 2024 showcased some of the most groundbreaking advancements in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI), positioning Meta at the forefront of technological innovation. Held with the intent to redefine how people interact with technology, this year’s event highlighted the seamless convergence of AI with immersive technologies, along with updates to Meta’s hardware lineup. CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced major AI-driven breakthroughs, AR devices, and tools that will shape the future of digital interactions.

The Unveiling of Orion AR Glasses

One of the headline announcements was Meta’s new Orion AR glasses, a revolutionary step in AR technology. The Orion glasses are Meta's first fully holographic AR device, offering a design that closely resembles traditional eyewear but is equipped with advanced capabilities. These glasses track voice, eyes, and hands, providing users with a deeply immersive and interactive experience.

The Orion glasses go beyond simple AR applications by integrating personalized AI assistants. These virtual helpers can anticipate user needs, respond to commands, and display holographic information in real time, making them ideal for both personal and professional use. Meta envisions Orion as a device capable of all-day wear, marking a significant leap in the wearable tech space.

Llama 3.2: Powering the AI Revolution

Meta’s AI division took center stage with the introduction of Llama 3.2, the latest version of its large language model (LLM). Llama 3.2 now includes vision-based LLMs with medium-sized parameters of 11B and 90B, as well as lighter text-only models with 1B and 3B parameters, optimized for mobile devices.

What sets Llama 3.2 apart is its ability to process both text and visual data, making it a versatile tool for industries ranging from virtual reality and robotics to content creation and customer service. This multimodal capability allows businesses and developers to create more intuitive, intelligent systems that can understand complex environments and deliver more personalized experiences.

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Get Smarter

Meta also announced significant upgrades to its Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, enhancing their capabilities with integrated multimodal AI. These smart glasses now offer real-time language translation, natural conversational interaction, and memory assistance. The upgrades aim to make the glasses more user-friendly, particularly for those with visual impairments, while enhancing their utility for everyday users looking for seamless technology integration in their daily lives.

AI-Powered Instagram Reels Translation

One of the most intriguing AI-driven features revealed at Meta Connect 2024 was the AI-powered translation for Instagram Reels. This new tool automatically dubs and lip-syncs content into different languages, allowing creators to expand their reach to global audiences with minimal effort. This innovation is set to change how content creators connect with international audiences, making Meta's platforms more accessible worldwide.

Human-Like Meta AI Chatbot

Meta also introduced a major update to its Meta AI chatbot, which has been enhanced to offer more human-like interactions. One of the standout features is the ability to interact with the AI using celebrity voices, including John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kristen Bell. This personalized approach enhances user engagement, providing a more entertaining and immersive experience across Meta’s platforms, including Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Meta’s Vision for AI-Driven, Immersive Experiences

Meta Connect 2024 demonstrated how far the company has come in integrating AI into AR and VR platforms. These advancements reflect Meta's long-term vision of creating a more immersive and interactive digital world, where users can seamlessly transition between virtual and physical spaces, aided by intelligent AI systems.

The event emphasized the convergence of Meta’s AI and AR/VR ecosystems, with AI becoming a foundational technology that powers new levels of personalization, interactivity, and accessibility across the company’s platforms and devices.

Expanding Business Horizons with AI

Meta’s focus on practical AI applications was another key highlight. The integration of AI into Meta's business tools and platforms is helping companies automate tasks, enhance customer service, and improve workflows. AI agents, designed to execute specific actions and achieve goals autonomously, are now widely used across Meta's ecosystem to drive efficiency and innovation in business operations.

Conclusion: A Glimpse into Meta’s Future

Meta Connect 2024 made it clear that the future of digital interaction will be deeply immersive, intuitive, and powered by AI. With major innovations like the Orion AR glasses, advancements in the Llama AI model, and enhanced features for both Ray-Ban Meta Glasses and Instagram Reels, Meta is positioning itself as a leader in the next era of technological transformation.

By blending AR, VR, and AI, Meta is not only enhancing the user experience but also reshaping how businesses, creators, and everyday users interact with digital spaces. As Zuckerberg concluded the event, it’s clear that Meta's vision for the future is one where digital and physical realities merge seamlessly, transforming the way we live, work, and connect.

At its recent Inspire event, Microsoft made a series of major announcements centered around generative AI, introducing Bing Chat Enterprise and Sales Copilot. The company also revealed the pricing for its Copilot tool within Microsoft 365.

During the Inspire conference, where Microsoft gathered its partners, the company elaborated on its strategy for deploying generative AI capabilities across its product lineup. It was announced that Copilot will be available to customers using Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium at a price of $30 per user per month, excluding taxes.

Copilot, integrated into Microsoft’s suite of productivity and collaboration applications, can automate tasks and create content, such as analyzing Excel data, designing PowerPoint presentations, and summarizing Teams meetings. This pricing will take effect once Copilot is "generally available," though Microsoft has not provided a specific date. Currently, 600 enterprise customers are enrolled in the early access program.

Bing Chat Enterprise Debuts

Microsoft also announced the expansion of Bing Chat with a new Enterprise version and introduced Visual Search. Bing Chat Enterprise is a professional version of the AI-powered chat function Microsoft launched in February. This offering allows users to ask questions and receive responses from GPT-4, the large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI, in which Microsoft has heavily invested since late 2022.

In a blog post, Microsoft executives Yusuf Mehdi and Jared Spataro noted that "similar to Bing Chat, Bing Chat Enterprise relies on web data and delivers thorough and verifiable responses, complete with citations and visual elements such as charts, tables, and images, all crafted in alignment with our AI principles." To ensure data protection, the service does not record any chat data or use it to train the underlying LLM. Additionally, Microsoft does not have direct access to the data, meaning that no one, including the company, can view the information used to power the tool.

"Bing Chat Enterprise is rolling out in preview today and is included at no additional cost with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium," Microsoft stated. It will also be available later as a standalone product for $5 per user per month. Moreover, Bing Chat will soon integrate image search via GPT-4. Users can upload an image to Bing Chat to search for similar content, learn more about the context of the image, or ask questions related to it. Visual search within Bing Chat is already being deployed for the Bing Desktop and mobile apps, with plans to add it to Bing Chat Enterprise later.

Introducing Sales Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365

At the Inspire event, Microsoft also unveiled Sales Copilot. "Designed for sales professionals, this version of the generative AI assistant is distinct from Microsoft 365 Copilot and Dynamics 365 Copilot," the company clarified, adding that the assistant can be accessed through tools used by sales teams, including Outlook, Teams, and Dynamics 365 Sales.

According to Jason Wong, an analyst at Gartner, Sales Copilot is "essentially a rebranded version of Viva Sales with added generative AI capabilities." He also noted that certain editions of Dynamics 365 will require a Sales Copilot license to integrate with Salesforce and other third-party systems.