Meta has officially launched select AI features for its Ray-Ban Meta augmented reality (AR) glasses in France, Italy, and spain, marking an important step in the company’s expansion of its innovative wearable tech across Europe. Starting today, users in these countries will be able to interact with Meta’s AI assistant using just their voice, enabling them to ask general questions and receive answers through the glasses. For example, users can ask, “What are some good gift ideas for my kids aged 6 and 8?” Meta AI will respond in real-time, helping users with day-to-day inquiries.

This new rollout supports French, Italian, and Spanish languages, in addition to English, as part of Meta’s broader effort to make its AI assistant more accessible to a global audience. The announcement comes almost a year after the initial launch of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses in september 2023.

“We’re excited to bring Meta AI and its innovative features to parts of the EU, and we look forward to expanding to more european countries soon,” Meta said in a blog post detailing the update. However, not all features available in other regions will be included in this european rollout.

Limited Features Due to EU Regulations

While U.S., Canadian, and Australian users enjoy multimodal AI capabilities on their Ray-Ban Meta glasses—such as the ability to receive information about objects in view of the glasses' camera—these features will not be part of the european update at this time. For example, users in the U.S. can ask their glasses to identify landmarks in their surroundings, such as, “Tell me more about this landmark,” but these features have been withheld in europe due to ongoing regulatory concerns.

Meta has expressed its commitment to complying with Europe’s complex regulatory environment, particularly regarding the EU’s AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The company has stated that it is working to bring multimodal capabilities to more countries in the future, though no specific timeline has been provided.

Regulatory Challenges: AI Act and GDPR Compliance

One of the major hurdles Meta has data-faced in europe revolves around the AI Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework that seeks to govern AI development and deployment across the EU. The company has voiced concerns about the unpredictability of the law’s implementation and its potential impact on AI innovation. Additionally, the GDPR, which governs data privacy across the EU, places stringent limits on how companies can use and train AI models on personal data.

In particular, Meta has been under scrutiny for how it trains AI models, including the ones powering its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, using publicly available data from platforms like instagram and Facebook. This data is often used to train the AI models unless users have explicitly opted out. european regulators have previously requested Meta halt its AI training practices on european user data while they assess compliance with GDPR. While Meta agreed to temporarily suspend this activity, it has continued to push for a "modern interpretation" of GDPR that would not stifle AI progress.

In response to regulatory concerns, Meta recently modified its approach to AI training in the UK, where it resumed using user data for training after incorporating feedback on a revised opt-out process. The company also launched certain AI features for Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the UK and six other countries earlier this fall.

Looking Ahead: Expanding AI Features to Europe

Despite these regulatory challenges, Meta remains committed to bringing its AI-powered smart glasses to more countries across the european Union. The company’s focus on ensuring compliance with EU laws—while balancing the needs for innovation—suggests that the rollout of more advanced AI features, including multimodal capabilities, will depend on how quickly regulations evolve.

While the rollout in France, Italy, and spain is a significant milestone, Meta’s journey in the european market is far from over. As the company works to navigate the regulatory landscape and expand its AI offerings, users across europe can expect further updates and new features for their Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the coming months.

As Meta continues to evolve its products and expand its AI capabilities, all eyes will be on how the company adapts to Europe’s regulatory framework and how this may influence the future of AR technologies globally.