Meta is reportedly developing what it calls a “super sensing” type of facial recognition technology to its smart glasses lineup. A new report from The Information said that Meta is developing software for the glasses that has the ability to recognize people by name and keep better track of what users are doing throughout the day.
The company originally planned to include similar technology in its first wave of smart glasses, but abandoned that effort due to privacy concerns.
Now, however, the tech appears to be back on the table. Meta is reportedly working on two new pairs of smart glasses (internally known as Aperol and Bellini) and is also re-evaluating its privacy policies and potential safety risks associated with the technology, the report said.
The report also said the feature would be opt-in only.
It’s part of Meta’s larger strategy to expand its smart glasses lineup and integrate AI more deeply into the products. It follows news that rivals like Google — which is now developing its first smart glasses since Google Glass — are boosting their push into the category.
It’s also said to be integrating this same “sensing” recognition capability into AI-powered earphones, which are said to include embedded cameras and sensors.
A representative for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An ideal testing ground
Eric Abbruzzese, a research director at market intelligence firm ABI, said the effort would represent a natural progression from what Meta has already done building out its Ray-Ban glasses with AI.
“These devices boil down to a streamlined package to deliver AI capability at the lowest possible cost for a glasses form factor, as displays remain one of the most significant challenges for glasses from a cost and design standpoint,” he said.
He added: “While Meta has plans for display-enabled glasses in the future, the no-display devices act as a unique product category focused purely on AI interaction and is an ideal testing ground both for the AI platforms itself and how it may interact or be used on smart glasses devices.”