Meta offers a glimpse through its supposed iPhone killer: Orion

Meta is making significant strides in its quest to develop wearable technology that could one day replace smartphones. At the forefront of this effort is the Orion smart glasses, a prototype unveiled by Meta’s Reality Labs. Orion combines advanced augmented reality (AR), eye and hand tracking, generative AI, and gesture-detecting technology. The glasses feature micro LED projectors and silicon carbide lenses, enabling users to see digital application windows projected into the real world. Though the Orion prototype is impressive, it is far from being a consumer-ready product. The glasses are bulky, expensive, and rely on external hardware like a wristband and wireless compute puck, with a reported cost of $10,000 per unit. While still in its early stages, Orion hints at the future of wearable technology, even though it is years away from being commercially available.

In the race to develop smartphone-replacing wearables, Meta faces competition from other tech giants such as Snap, Google, Apple, and even Jony Ive’s startup, LoveFrom. These companies are all working on variations of smart glasses, hoping to create a device that merges the functionality of a smartphone with the convenience of everyday eyewear. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has long been a proponent of eyewear computing and has invested billions into this technology through Reality Labs. Meta has already made progress with its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, a simpler and far more affordable product that integrates AI capabilities, cameras, and other features for just $299. While the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are more basic than Orion, they represent Meta’s first step toward achieving its larger vision for AR wearables.

One of Meta’s key challenges with both Ray-Ban Meta and Orion is integrating AI effectively. Currently, the AI capabilities in the Ray-Ban glasses are limited and have some performance issues, including latency and a lack of tight integration with apps. However, Meta is working on updates that promise to improve the AI experience, including real-time video processing and better app integration. These advancements are expected to enhance both the Ray-Ban Meta glasses and eventually trickle up to the more advanced Orion.

The path to developing a sellable version of Orion is still long, with Meta needing to make significant improvements in terms of affordability, user experience, and integration of features like typing without a physical keyboard. While Orion is far from being a reality, Meta's work signals the beginning of a new era in wearable technology, and its early investments could give it a competitive edge as the race to replace the smartphone heats up.

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Over 300 New ‘Nazca Lines’ Geoglyphs Have Been Revealed by AI

In a recent study led by Masato Sakai from Yamagata University, advanced AI technology helped uncover over 300 previously unknown Nazca Lines geoglyphs in Peru. This discovery, which nearly matches the 430 geoglyphs found over the past 80 years, provides new insights into the culture and beliefs of the ancient people who created them over 2,000 years ago. The geoglyphs, massive artworks etched into the desert ground, include various depictions of animals, humans, and abstract shapes. AI imaging technology, specifically ResNet50, was crucial in identifying these new geoglyphs, which had previously gone unnoticed.

The newly discovered geoglyphs are primarily smaller relief-type figures that average around 9 meters in size and depict humanoid and animal forms, including some animals that are difficult to classify. In contrast, the more famous line-type geoglyphs, such as the iconic hummingbird, are much larger and visible primarily from the air. The research team suggests that these geoglyphs likely served ceremonial or ritual purposes, with the relief-type figures placed within viewing distance of foot trails and the larger line-type geoglyphs potentially used for community-wide events.

The study highlights how AI is revolutionizing archaeology by enabling researchers to uncover hidden artifacts and sites that would otherwise remain undetected. The rapid pace of discovery facilitated by AI is remarkable; within just six months, the team discovered 303 new geoglyphs, nearly doubling the number of known figures. This cutting-edge technology is now increasingly being used in archaeology for the analysis of ancient artifacts, such as pottery, and in mapping ancient sites, promising to further unlock the mysteries of past civilizations.

California’s Gavin Newsom Vetoes Controversial AI Safety Bill

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a controversial AI regulation bill, S.B. 1047, on Sunday, marking a significant win for the tech industry. The bill, which would have imposed the nation's strictest AI regulations, required companies to test powerful AI systems before release and held them accountable for any harm caused by their technology. Proponents of the bill, including renowned AI researchers like Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, argued that it would formalize existing voluntary commitments by tech firms. However, tech executives, investors, and politicians like Rep. Nancy Pelosi opposed it, claiming that such measures would stifle innovation and unfairly target developers instead of malicious users.

In his veto message, Newsom expressed concern that the bill singled out AI projects based on computing power rather than focusing on the actual use cases of AI, such as its role in critical decision-making or handling sensitive data. He emphasized the need for regulation based on empirical evidence and science. Newsom also announced that his administration would collaborate with leading academics to develop more practical guidelines for AI deployment, signaling that California might still pursue AI regulation in the absence of federal action.

Despite the veto, Newsom has enacted 17 other AI-related laws that regulate tech companies, including restrictions on AI-generated election misinformation, requirements for negotiating actors’ likeness rights in AI videos, and digital watermarking for AI-generated content. The veto, however, was seen as a setback for the AI safety movement, which advocates for urgent measures to prepare for potential risks posed by increasingly intelligent AI systems. Critics of the movement argue that most AI developers are focused on more immediate challenges, like creating viable products, rather than the long-term existential threats posed by AI.

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