Meta Debuts Camera-Free Audio Glasses With Muse AI at Connect

Meta's smart glasses dominated this year's Meta Connect conference, appearing on the faces of company staff, influencers and nearly every product demo at the event, according to a hands-on report from TechCrunch reporter Lucas Ropek published Sept. 25.

What new glasses did Meta show at Connect 2026?

Among the products Ropek tested were Meta's new, still-unreleased audio-only smart glasses, per TechCrunch. The glasses carry no camera and have no native way to record surroundings, relying instead on six built-in microphones, TechCrunch reported. Ropek described them as "significantly lighter" than other Meta smart glasses he has worn and said they were comfortable during his demo.

Why did Meta remove the camera this time?

The audio-only design follows accusations that Meta's camera-equipped glasses amounted to "pervert glasses," with critics alleging the devices could be used for covert surveillance, according to TechCrunch. By stripping out the camera and recording function, the new glasses are positioned to ease those privacy concerns, the outlet reported. A Meta staffer who spoke with Ropek instead emphasized entertainment and communication features, including music playback described as more comfortable than earbuds and the ability to take phone calls without reaching for a phone, per TechCrunch.

How does the Muse AI integration work?

The glasses are built to integrate with Muse, Meta's personal agentic AI system that can carry out tasks on a user's behalf, according to TechCrunch. The integration, not yet available to the public, lets wearers issue verbal commands to Muse, the outlet reported. Meta also plans to let users personalize the agent by choosing from a set of digital avatars that represent Muse during interactions, per TechCrunch.

Ropek described trying the feature as "fun but also somewhat comical," noting that the agent requires very direct speech and gets confused if the wearer talks to another person at the same time. During his demo, Ropek said he kept chatting intermittently with the Meta staffer who had handed him the glasses, and the agent repeatedly assumed it was being addressed and spoke over her, according to TechCrunch.

What can Muse actually do for wearers?

Despite the mix-up, TechCrunch reported that in the right context the integration could prove useful, letting wearers ask Muse to send emails or recite to-do lists while running errands or having a drink. The outlet also noted the glasses can function like a mobile version of ChatGPT: Ropek said he asked the glasses a question about World War II and received what he called a succinct answer.

When will the audio-only glasses be released?

TechCrunch's report did not include a release date or price for the audio-only glasses, describing them only as still-unreleased at the time of the Connect event. The Muse voice-command integration was likewise described as not yet available to the public.

The original TechCrunch report is available at techcrunch.com.

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