Meta plans to launch facial recognition in smart glasses

Meta plans to add facial recognition technology to its smart glasses by 2025, featuring a tool called "Name Tag." This information was revealed by anonymous sources to The New York Times.

This feature will allow users to identify people and access information through Meta's AI assistant. Recognition will work with contacts already known to the user or with public profiles on social media like Instagram. However, the company ruled out the possibility of universal recognition, which would allow for random identification of strangers.

Meta had previously distanced itself from facial recognition due to privacy and ethical concerns, having disabled the facial recognition system on Facebook in 2021. Nonetheless, the company believes implementing this feature could provide a competitive edge in the growing smart glasses market, particularly against rivals like Oakley and Ray-Ban.

The launch of "Name Tag" was initially planned for an event aimed at visually impaired individuals, but Meta now sees an opportune moment for the feature's introduction, citing a "dynamic political environment" in the United States. The company has not officially confirmed the launch date but indicated it is carefully evaluating the feature's implementation.

With renewed interest in facial recognition technologies, Meta faces a dilemma between innovation and the ethical concerns such technology raises. What is clear is that the company is determined to explore new functionalities to stand out in an increasingly competitive field.