Live AI on Meta’s Smart Glasses Is a Solution Looking for a Problem

Live AI sounds promising, but in practice, it often leaves you wondering when and why you’d actually use it.

Testing Live AI: Breakfast and Dinner Challenges

Preparing for a road trip, I decided to try Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses with Live artifical intelligence to plan breakfast. When I asked what I could make with my fridge contents—month-old leftovers, two eggs, yogurt, and maple syrup—John Cena’s voice suggested scrambled eggs, omelets, or yogurt parfaits. None of these options worked due to missing or spoiled ingredients.

Switching to dinner, I found frozen pizzas, veggies, and hamburger buns. Live AI suggested “frozen meals, stir-fries, and casseroles.” Frustrated by generic answers, I ordered takeout instead.

The Core Problem With Live AI

Live AI’s biggest issue is its limited practicality. Answers often restate the obvious, leaving me to question when and why I’d use it. The pitch is appealing—you talk to it like a friend, and it sees what you see—but remembering to use it is another challenge.

Fashion and Cooking Queries

Meta suggested trying it for fashion and cooking. For multicolored press-on nails, it vaguely recommended “pastel colors.” When I asked which book to read, it replied, “Pick one you’ve been meaning to read.” For cooking, its suggestions were equally unhelpful, often leaving me to Google instead.

A Rare Win: Decorating Advice

One useful moment came when I asked about decorating my home office. Initially, Live AI gave generic suggestions like adding artwork or plants. Pressing for specifics, it recommended playful posters that matched the stuffed animals in the room and named artists like Lisa Congdon. Still, the advice required careful prompting and additional research.

The Challenge of Asking the Right Questions

The experience showed that Live AI depends heavily on how you phrase questions. Precise prompts yield better results, but this isn’t intuitive for everyone. Without guidance on using the tech effectively, many users may feel frustrated.

Practical Limitations and Missed Potential

Live AI also struggles with context, occasionally misinterpreting conversations or providing false information. Its 30-minute battery life adds to its limitations, making it hard to integrate seamlessly into daily life.

While the vision of smart glasses with built-in AI feels futuristic, the reality is underwhelming. Most of the time, reaching for your phone is faster and more reliable.