Meta AI on Ray-Ban Meta glasses can now be much more descriptive about what it sees, via a new accessibility setting for blind and low-vision people.
As well as more complex queries about what’s in view of the camera, Meta AI can be used by those with low vision to audibly describe what’s in front of them. But Meta AI on smart glasses is fine-tuned to provide brief responses, so that your hearing isn’t interrupted for too long by a verbose response.
If you’re blind or low vision and do want verbosity when asking what’s in view, Meta has added a new Detailed Responses accessibility option, which you can toggle on in the Meta AI app. The company says it’s rolling out in the US & Canada this month, and will expand to other countries “in the future”.
Note that the large language model (LLM) technology that makes chatbots like Meta AI possible is prone to error and Meta’s terms warn to not rely on it, a clause blind users should keep in mind for any safety-critical tasks.
0:00
Meta is also expanding its partnership with Be My Eyes, which lets blind and low-vision Ray-Ban Meta glasses wearers start a view-sharing video call with one of the service’s 8 million volunteers who help them navigate a situation.
The Be My Eyes partnership launched in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia back in November, and now it’s coming to all 18 countries where Meta AI is supported.
David Heaney
Meta’s launch of the Detailed Responses option for Meta AI comes one day after Apple announced that visionOS will get the ability to magnify passthrough, as well as to describe, find, or read anything in your view using on-device AI later this year. Apple also announced that accessibility apps like Be My Eyes will get access to the passthrough camera view on visionOS.
Apple also reportedly plans its own smart glasses with a focus on visual AI for 2027, and they too will likely offer similar features for blind and low-vision people.
