Orion Rising
From AI to AR
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Friends,
A short interview I did earlier this year on education and edtech, for those interested.
Despite all the news on OpenAI - (move away from non-profit, meaning a new OpenAI, an OpenAI Hardware product, raising multi-millions to grow our the worlds data capability because it’s not enough for the vision of AI, and the last of the founding team leaving to pursue other goals, leaving the Game of Thrones winner as Sam Altman), I don’t want to spend this week on OpenAI. It’s much turmoil and much excitement for the company that is on a knife-edge of defining our future - but we know that already. Much of this plays out, feature by feature on what the product brings, what the team see, and what investors want. Ultimately, will there be enough of a return on investment on the future that is being foretold?
Today I wanted to focus on Zuck (Mark Zuckerberg) and Meta - who once was the man of the hour and sort of fell from grace. I think Meta is back with a new vision (excuse the pun) using AR/VR. For nearly a decade, he’s been pouring billions into a vision (yes, again) that aims to blend our physical and digital lives in ways we can only dream of. At the recent Meta-Connect event, he showcased the latest efforts in that journey, pitching new hardware and software that could finally connect dots many of us have been sceptical about for years. I found the presentation awkward to watch, but an exciting ambition for the coming years.
Meta recently unveiled the Quest 3S, a low-cost virtual reality headset that proves VR doesn’t have to break the bank. Priced at $299, it’s a compelling entry point, especially when you compare it to the dizzying price tags of rivals like Apple’s Vision Pro, which starts at a ridiculous $3,499. It’s a smart move to make VR accessible to more people, and early reports suggest that the Quest 3S keeps up with its pricier counterpart in terms of experience. The headset is not just a cheaper option—it repurposes technology that has already captivated users. And I think that Apple is now playing catchup, big time, in reaching the mainstream in this segment.
Zuckerberg’s ambition doesn’t stop at VR. The new Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, featuring advanced AI functionalities, are designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life. By marrying style with capability, Meta has made these glasses not just another gadget but a fashion statement. Amid this landscape of skepticism around augmented reality, this pairing of good looks and practicality is a strategic win. Although I can’t yet quite imagine everyone walking around in Ray-Bans, it’s already actually somewhat of a reality in the summer months.
The AI component is where things get interesting. With Meta AI, users can do practical tasks like translating languages in real-time and setting reminders without having to pull out a phone. It’s AI embedded in our everyday interactions—not a gimmick but a useful tool, much like how the smartphone revolutionized connectivity. It’s a shift from having technology as an accessory to embedding it in how we interact with the world around us.
Then, there’s Project Orion, Zuckerberg’s experimental AR glasses, designed for a future where our understanding of “glasses” changes entirely. Here, the fantasy comes closer to what might be reality. Orion represents a leap into a world where you can manifest holograms in your living room and have conversations with digital avatars as if they were sitting beside you. The ambitious goal is to create a pair of glasses that could eventually replace smartphones entirely, controlled not just by touch or voice, but potentially through brain signals—the “neural interface” suggests Zuckerberg’s long-term dreams.
It’s crucial to recognize that these products are still far from ubiquitous. Many of these ideas are still prototypes, and the journey toward consumer-ready products is a long one lined with technical hurdles and market hesitation. The risk of overselling the technology looms large, yet the buzz around Meta’s announcements signals a growing interest and a potential turning point.
Zuckerberg seemed to exude a newly found confidence, even with a touch of bolshiness. It feels like he’s starting to let go of the baggage that’s been tied to Meta’s name, focusing instead on merging AI with tangible consumer technology. This pivot aims not just to reclaim past glories but to step into a future that many have speculated about for years, with Zuckerberg now seemingly in control of the narrative. Personally, this feels like the best story to tell. The Metaverse seemed exciting - and I still think it will happen - but that North Star might be too far away.
The stakes are high. Meta’s Reality Labs—where all the innovation is happening—has a staggering operating loss of $16.7 billion annually. However, investor sentiment has improved, suggesting a belief that the leap toward AI and mixed reality might just turn the tide. And with most analysts leaning positive about Meta’s trajectory, the current narrative is less about the spectre of failure and more about a tentative optimism. I’m back to being bullish.
In a world still figuring out the implications of AI in our daily lives, Zuckerberg’s laying out of his intelligent, connected eyewear might just be the path that bridges the gap between the physical and digital. If AI can integrate into our lives in a meaningful way through these new devices, Meta could very well lead the charge into a future that feels far less distant than it once did. I’m bullish, but AR glasses aren’t quite ready for prime time.
Stay Curious - and don’t forget to be amazing,
Here are my recommendations for this week:
One of the best tools to provide excellent reading and articles for your week is Refind. It’s a great tool for keeping ahead with “brain food” relevant to you and providing serendipity for some excellent articles that you may have missed. You can dip in and sign up for weekly, daily or something in between -what’s guaranteed is that algorithm sends you only get the best articles in your area of choosing. It’s also free. Highly recommended Sign up.
Now
Is digital technology leading us to the ‘extinction of experience’? Being online is a physical experience, too. Clicking and scrolling are motions we perform with our bodies, but they are arguably the least inspired choreography of which we are capable. Also: The perfect escape from our online world
What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything - Motivation isn’t a constant state – it naturally ebbs and flows. When motivation wanes, it pays to have a repertoire of strategies you can draw upon to recapture its energy and get yourself back in gear.
What Repeat COVID Infections Do to Your Body, According to Science
SARS-CoV-2 behaves differently than a common cold or flu virus—and can do major long-term damage.
Are Some Ultraprocessed Foods Worse Than Others? Of the 10 ultraprocessed food categories looked at, two were clearly associated with greater risk: sugar-sweetened drinks (like soda and fruit punch) and processed meat, poultry and fish (like bacon, hot dogs, breaded fish products, chicken sausages and salami sandwiches). When these two categories were excluded from the data, most of the risk associated with ultraprocessed food consumption disappeared. Also: No One Asked for Coca-Cola Oreos
Malcolm Gladwell Holds His Ideas Loosely. He Thinks You Should, Too. As he releases “Revenge of The Tipping Point,” the best-selling journalist talks about broken windows theory. The goal of the book is to give people the sense that the world that you’re given is not the world you have to settle for. It’s on my to-read list for sure.
Next
The Intelligence Age: Sam Altman’s view on the world - Must read for understanding one of the most powerful directing our future. Also: Are We Too Impatient to Be Intelligent?
Rethinking ‘Checks and Balances’ for the A.I. Age: A project at Stanford points to the need for institutional innovation, especially in government, to increase the odds that A.I. enhances democracy.
AI’s Trillion-Dollar Opportunity: Bain Report citing that the market for AI products and services could reach between $780 billion and $990 billion by 2027.
Qualcomm Approached Intel About a Takeover - Deal for Intel would be massive and come as chip maker is sputtering. Unbelievable how the tables have turned over a decade.
The Man Tasked With Rebooting Amazon AI: Amazon has said it isn’t behind and that it is playing the long game with AI. No matter which company’s AI software succeeds, it expects soaring demand for its cloud business because of the intensive computing resources required. Chief Executive Andy Jassy has said he expects AI to drive tens of billions of dollars of revenue for the company over the next several years.
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