The Next AI War Is About the 'Body'... Meta Platforms to Put 'Muse' in Glasses

[Financial News]  Meta Platforms is expanding the battlefield for artificial intelligence (AI) competition from software to hardware. It is doing so by equipping glasses and portable devices with the personal AI agent 'Muse,' enabling them to recognize users' everyday surroundings in real time and take action. Analysts say the next platform race will hinge on who gains an early lead in the devices where AI meets users, beyond AI performance alone.
On the 25th, Lee Gyu-won, a researcher at DS Investment & Securities, identified the combination of 'Muse and AI glasses' as the key feature of 'Meta Connect 2026,' held on the 23rd and 24th. The glasses recognize the user's surrounding visual and audio information in real time, allowing Muse to use it to perform real-world actions such as searches and shopping.
The difference from existing smartphone-based AI is context. Beyond text or voice entered by users, AI's range of perception now includes the real world that users actually see and hear. The researcher described this as a foundation for taking personalization to the next level.
Meta Platforms plans to expand its AI-glasses lineup to more than 100 options by the end of the year. The camera-free, audio-only 'Ray-Ban Meta Audio' is priced at $349, while the mass-market third-generation 'Ray-Ban Meta' costs $449. The higher-end 'Meta Ray-Ban Display,' equipped with a display, is priced at $799. The strategy is to develop AI glasses beyond simple wearables into a key distribution channel connecting Muse with users.
Meta Platforms is also changing course in virtual reality (VR). It plans to launch 'Meta VR Glasses' in the first half of 2027 for $1,299, reducing the main unit's weight to about 100 grams by separating the processing, battery and storage components. The move will address the weight and price often cited as drawbacks of Apple Vision Pro while expanding the uses of the existing Meta Quest beyond gaming to movies, sports and work.
Meta Platforms also unveiled the portable AI device 'Muse Charm.' The small, Tamagotchi-like device interacts with Muse through a real-time voice model. Shipments are targeted to begin in December.
The researcher explained, "As personal AI becomes more advanced, the need for new information technology (IT) devices optimized for AI agents, beyond the auxiliary functions of smartphones, is expected to grow. OpenAI is also reportedly developing a portable 'AI-native device' equipped with a camera and sensors."
He added, "Ultimately, Meta Platforms' strategy is focused on securing the interface where personal AI agents meet the real world, moving beyond competition among AI models. If smartphones were gateways to the application ecosystem, glasses and ultra-small wearables could emerge as new platforms in the AI era." 


[email protected] Kim Kyung-a Reporter