Why Mark Zuckerberg thinks AR glasses will replace your phone

Orion AR smart glasses (0s)

• Mark and an unknown individual have just finished trying a product called Orion. (3s)
• Orion is a pair of AR glasses that has been in development for almost 10 years. (13s)
• The goal of the project at its inception was not discussed in this excerpt. (25s)

Platform shift from mobile to AR (27s)

• The transition from web to mobile platforms was significant, and mobile devices, while offering portability, have limitations. (1m7s)
• It was recognized that mobile technology would not be the final stage in technological development, prompting exploration into future possibilities. (1m24s)
• Once a stable presence was established on mobile platforms, efforts were directed towards shaping the future of technology, as the window of opportunity to influence the mobile platform had closed. (2m5s)

The vision for Orion & AR glasses (2m15s)

• The vision for Orion, a normal-looking pair of glasses, is to provide two main functions: placing holograms in the real world to create a realistic sense of presence and serving as the ideal device for AI. (2m21s)
• The glasses would allow users to interact with holograms, such as playing virtual games, working on projects with others, or watching movies on a full-screen virtual theater. (2m39s)
• The glasses' AI capabilities would stem from their ability to process the user's visual and auditory input, providing feedback through the user's ears or discreet visual cues on the lenses. (3m3s)

Why people will upgrade to AR glasses (3m55s)

• People who already wear glasses will be the first to adopt smart glasses, similar to how people without smartphones were the first to adopt them. (4m2s)
• Smart glasses will become increasingly valuable over the next decade, leading individuals who don't currently wear glasses to adopt them. (4m10s)
• Creating regular-looking glasses with holographic capabilities at an affordable price is challenging, leading to the development of smart glasses with features like cameras, microphones, and access to AI assistants. (4m39s)

A range of options for smart glasses (5m20s)

• There will be a range of smart glasses options available, from full holographic displays to simpler heads-up displays. (5m38s)
• Each type of smart glasses will offer different levels of technology and features, with the more advanced options being more expensive and potentially bulkier. (6m23s)
• Mixed reality headsets, while sharing a similar vision, will likely remain a separate category with a focus on providing a more immersive experience with greater computing power. (6m41s)

Consumer ambitions for Orion (7m32s)

• The initial goal was for Orion to be the first consumer product, but technical limitations and a desire for a smaller, more fashionable design at a consumer-friendly price point led to the decision to delay its release. (7m38s)
• The current iteration of Orion is being used as an internal developer kit, primarily within Meta and with select partners, to refine the software experience before a consumer launch. (10m54s)
• The aim is to create a consumer-ready product that surpasses competitors in terms of both technology and fashion, with a focus on comfort, aesthetics, and a seamless user experience throughout the day. (11m38s)

Reality Labs spending & the cost of AR (11m40s)

• It is estimated that the cost of building Orion over the past 10 years is over 5 billion dollars. (11m52s)
• The budget for glasses programs is larger than the budget for virtual and mixed reality programs. (12m14s)
• There is an expanded partnership with Luxottica, the designers of Ray-Ban Stories, to create more smart glasses. (12m28s)

Ray-Ban partnership (12m44s)

• A multi-year roadmap involving the development of multiple devices has been established for the partnership. (13m30s)
• The partnership is structured as a collaborative effort, with both parties contributing to the design and technology of the products. (15m52s)
• The partnership is viewed as a symbolic gesture of commitment to a long-term collaboration. (14m6s)

Ray-Ban Meta sales & success (17m11s)

• Meta underestimated the demand for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and had difficulty gauging the true demand due to the product being frequently sold out. (17m25s)
• Unlike software development, consumer electronics manufacturing involves less flexible supply chains, requiring upfront decisions on production capacity. (17m28s)
• Meta has since increased its manufacturing capacity for Ray-Ban Meta to address the high demand and improve product availability. (18m40s)

Bringing AI to the Ray-Ban Meta (18m59s)

• The AI capabilities of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are constantly improving through software updates, enabling features like real-time translation. (19m41s)
• The glasses are intended to augment smartphone functionality rather than replace them entirely, offering features like reminders and integration with apps like Spotify. (20m30s)
• The increasing utility of the glasses, driven by AI advancements and software development, is expected to drive demand over time. (21m28s)

Replacing phones with AR glasses (21m54s)

• People are starting to use their phones less and will likely use AR glasses for more tasks in the future. (22m7s)
• In the future, AR glasses will be powered by other wearables, such as wrist-based devices, potentially eliminating the need to carry a phone. (22m33s)
• Advancements in AI technology, particularly its integration with AR glasses, are creating new possibilities for user interaction and functionality. (23m31s)

Influx of AI content on social media (25m18s)

• New content formats emerge on social media platforms approximately every 3 to 5 years. (26m7s)
• These new formats, such as photos, videos, and stories, tend to enhance the user experience and offer new ways for people to express themselves. (26m18s)
• It is predicted that future content formats will likely be driven by AI, given its growing influence in the tech industry. (27m30s)

The vision for AI-filled social media (28m32s)

• Businesses, creators, and individuals will utilize AI agents for tasks such as customer interaction, content creation, and community engagement. (29m1s)
• AI-generated content will be integrated into social media feeds, providing users with potentially interesting content beyond their existing network. (30m40s)
• Social media interactions are shifting towards private messaging and group chats, with feeds primarily serving as content discovery engines for initiating conversations. (33m50s)

Will AI lead to less human interaction? (34m4s)

• People generally desire more close friendships than they currently have. (34m18s)
• Technology can facilitate connections by enabling shared experiences, such as humor or holographic representations of loved ones. (34m31s)
• Rather than diminishing human interaction, technology is expected to provide increased support and opportunities for connection with a wider range of individuals. (35m9s)

Success of Threads (35m24s)

• Threads is experiencing rapid growth and popularity. (35m30s)
• Threads and Instagram are viewed as interconnected platforms that mutually benefit each other. (35m50s)
• The goal is to increase content flow and interoperability between platforms like Threads, Instagram, and Facebook, rather than separating them. (36m32s)

Competing with X & the role of news (36m41s)

• Twitter is described as a short-form, text-based discussion app where comments hold equal weight to the original post, unlike other social networks. (37m11s)
• This difference in architecture allows for the forking of discussions, making it a strong platform for discussion, including news, but not limited to it. (37m47s)
• There is an unfulfilled need for a widely used discussion platform that can reach billions of users and provide a space for people to discuss major events with those they follow. (39m13s)

Why politics can hurt social platforms (40m4s)

• Political discourse is important but can leave people feeling bad. (40m25s)
• A balance is struck by allowing political discourse but not actively recommending it. (41m14s)
• There is a desire to design products that elicit positive feelings, and the level of political discourse allowed may change depending on how it impacts users. (41m41s)

Mark’s shift away from politics (41m52s)

• Facebook users have expressed a desire for less political content in their feeds. (42m42s)
• A decision was made to strive for nonpartisanship for both the company and its leader. (43m37s)
• The brand and reputation of Facebook, while improving, is still not at the level it was prior to 2016. (45m3s)

Cambridge Analytica, in hindsight (46m0s)

• It is stated that investigations have shown that accusations made against Facebook, specifically regarding data misuse and Cambridge Analytica, were untrue. (46m37s)
• It is argued that the media did not adequately cover the results of these investigations, which found that many of the initial allegations were false. (47m22s)
• It is expressed that, in retrospect, Facebook could have responded differently to these accusations and that taking responsibility for things not actually the company's fault made it a target for blame. (47m45s)

Link between teen mental health and social media (49m9s)

• The majority of high-quality research suggests there is no causal connection between social media and mental health issues. (49m30s)
• Parental controls are important because parents have different preferences for how they want to raise their children. (51m22s)
• Age verification already exists for payments on phones, and it is suggested that Apple and Google should extend this to parental controls for apps. (52m29s)

Disagreeing with EU regulation (53m52s)

• It is difficult to understand European politics, especially the regulations surrounding AI. (54m30s)
• The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is meant to provide clarity on data privacy and consent for companies operating within the EU. (54m46s)
• There is a lack of clarity and consistency in the application of GDPR across the EU, with multiple regulatory bodies interpreting and enforcing the rules differently. (55m24s)

Debate around AI training data & copyright (56m6s)

• There is a concern that creators are not being compensated for their data being used to train AI models. (56m12s)
• AI training data and copyright issues are not unique to AI and similar concerns existed with the internet and other technologies. (57m10s)
• It is suggested that the value of specific content is often overestimated and that AI partnerships will likely be formed when content is deemed truly valuable. (58m4s)

Responsibility around AR as a platform (1h0m7s)

• Holograms and augmented reality will blend the physical and digital worlds more than previous platforms. (1h0m34s)
• Governance questions will arise around augmented reality, such as whether digital overlays should adhere to physical or national regulations. (1h1m6s)
• Different countries will have varying values and approaches to augmented reality, leading to a complex and evolving landscape. (1h1m41s)