Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the company’s new camera-free AI glasses at Meta’s annual Connect conference in Menlo Park on Wednesday, introducing a $349 audio-only device as the technology giant responds to growing privacy concerns surrounding camera-equipped wearables.

The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses are designed without cameras and will be available from October 13.

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They allow users to listen to music and podcasts, make calls, translate speech and interact with Meta’s artificial intelligence assistant, Muse.

The launch represents a notable shift in Meta’s wearable strategy. While the company continues to develop glasses with cameras and displays, the new audio-only model offers a way to use AI without recording photographs or video.

Privacy has become an increasingly sensitive issue for the smart-glasses industry.

Meta’s camera-equipped products have faced criticism after reports and lawsuits raised concerns about people being recorded without their knowledge or consent.

Meta has defended its privacy safeguards, including a recording indicator light designed to make it clear when its glasses are capturing images or video.

Vishal Shah, Meta’s vice-president of AI product, said the recording indicator remains an important part of the company’s approach.

“We wanted people to clearly understand that this was something that was recording,” Shah said, according to AFP.

The camera-free glasses are slimmer than Meta’s camera-equipped models because they do not need to accommodate imaging hardware.

Meta says they weigh about 43 grams and can provide up to 12 hours of battery life, with a charging case extending total battery life to 48 hours.

Meta is not abandoning camera-equipped glasses, however.

The company also introduced the next generation of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, with a 12-megapixel camera, 3K Ultra HD video recording, six microphones and improved battery life. The new range starts at $449.

Zuckerberg also used the event to position Muse as a central part of Meta’s growing wearable ecosystem.

Muse is designed as a personal AI agent capable of handling tasks on behalf of users. Meta says people can use the assistant to arrange appointments, make calls, shop and manage other everyday tasks.

The company is also expanding Muse’s role beyond smartphones by integrating the assistant into its AI glasses.

“Muse will be the centerpiece of our vision,” Zuckerberg said during the keynote.

Meta’s ambitions extend beyond smart glasses. The company unveiled Meta VR Glasses, a lighter mixed-reality headset that relies on an external battery and computing pack connected by a cable.

The VR glasses are expected to launch in spring 2027 at $1,299. Meta says the headset weighs about 100 grams, roughly the weight of a deck of cards.

The company also previewed Meta Charm, a small standalone device designed to provide access to Muse without requiring a smartphone.

Reuters reported that the device is expected to ship around the holiday season, although Meta has not announced a price.

Meta is simultaneously expanding its existing Ray-Ban Display glasses into additional markets, including Britain, Canada, France, Italy and Germany. glasses have become particularly controversial because cameras embedded in ordinary-looking frames can make recording less obvious to people The company has also announced new navigation and other hands-free features for the display-equipped glasses.

The broader push comes as Meta attempts to make wearable AI a major part of its next phase of growth.

Zuckerberg said there are nearly two billion people worldwide who wear glasses and predicted that many of those glasses could eventually be upgraded with AI capabilities.

Yet the company’s expansion comes against a difficult backdrop.

Meta has faced increasing scrutiny over privacy, child safety and the wider social consequences of its technology.

Smart glasses have become particularly controversial because cameras embedded in ordinary-looking frames can make recording less obvious to people nearby.

The camera-free model therefore gives Meta an opportunity to promote the usefulness of wearable AI while removing one of the most contentious features of its existing glasses boundaries.

Meta’s latest product range suggests the company intends to tackle that challenge through several different forms.

The challenge will be persuading consumers that convenience and artificial intelligence can coexist with privacy and clear boundaries.

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Meta’s latest product range suggests the company intends to tackle that challenge through several different forms of wearable technology rather than retreating from the category.