Meta’s AI glasses can now help you hear conversations better

Meta announced an update to its AI glasses on Tuesday that will allow you to better hear people speaking when you’re in a noisy environment. The feature will initially be available on Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses in the United States and Canada, the company says. Additionally, the glasses are getting another update that lets you use Spotify to play a song that matches what’s in your current view.

For example, if you look at an album cover, the glasses might play a song by that artist. Or if you’re looking at your Christmas tree with a pile of presents, you can play Christmas music. This addition is of course more of a gimmick, but it shows how Meta plans to connect what people see with the actions they can take in their apps.

The chat feature, on the other hand, seems more practical. First announced at Meta’s Connect conference earlier this year, the feature uses the AI ​​glasses’ open speakers to amplify the voice of the person you’re speaking to. Meta says smart glasses wearers will also be able to adjust the amplification level by sliding the right arm of their glasses or through the device settings. This will allow them to set the level more precisely based on their current environment, whether it’s a busy restaurant or bar, a club, a commuter train, or anything else.

Of course, the functionality of the feature will still need to be tested. However, the idea of ​​using smart accessories as hearing aids is not limited to Meta. Apple AirPods already offer a Conversation Boost feature designed to help you focus on the person you’re talking to, and the Pro models recently added support for a clinical-grade hearing aid feature.

Although the conversation-focused feature is limited to the United States and Canada, the Spotify feature is offered in English in more markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States.

The software update (v21) will first be available to those enrolled in Meta’s Early Access program, which first requires joining a waitlist and being approved. It will then be deployed more widely.