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

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

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

Meanwhile, the conversation focus feature seems more practical. First announced at Meta’s Connect conference earlier this year, the feature uses the AI ​​glasses’ open-ear speakers to amplify the voice of the person you’re talking to. Smartglass wearers will also be able to adjust the level of amplification by swiping the right side of their glasses, or via the device settings, Meta says. This will allow them to set the level more accurately to match their current environment, whether that’s a busy restaurant, bar, club, commuter train, or something else.

Of course, how well this feature works will still need to be tested. However, the idea of ​​using smart accessories as hearing aids is not limited to Meta. Apple’s 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 the Hearing Aids feature as well.

While Conversation Focus is limited to the US and Canada, Spotify’s English feature is offered in more markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK and US.

The software update (version 21) will first become available to those enrolled in Meta’s early access program, which requires first joining a waitlist and getting approved. It will be rolled out later.