Megan Holgate’s Post

Meta Unleashes "Meta Buddy": Your Friendly Neighborhood Know-It-All Ever feel like your phone is missing a helpful, yet slightly unhinged, companion? Well, fret no more! Meta has blessed us with "Meta Buddy," the AI assistant that can do it all Access your new best bud (or maybe frenemy?) on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook. Just type "@meta ai" in your chats, or look for the vaguely judgmental blue circle icon. Meta Buddy boasts it can answer your questions, whip up some sweet animations, and even generate high-quality images. Need a picture of a cat wearing a HAT riding a unicycle? Boom, Meta Buddy's got you covered. (Although, the results might be more "nightmare fuel" than a masterpiece.) Mark Zuckerberg, bless his enthusiastic heart, declared Meta Buddy 'the most intelligent AI assistant you can freely use.' Just remember, intelligence is relative. Meta Buddy may confuse your dog for a cat, but hey, at least it'll try, right? Speaking of confusion, Meta is still figuring out how to play nice with European privacy laws. Those Europeans are a stickler for keeping their data... private. Who knew? But wait, there's more! Meta Buddy is powered by "Meta Llama 3," the company's latest large language model with a taste for information overload. Think of it as a digital bot that knows a little bit about everything, and a lot about nothing. Feeling deja vu? That's because Meta Buddy has some competition. There's ChatGPT, Google's mysterious "real-time knowledge" project (whatever that means), and even Meta will tap results from their rivals' search engines to keep things... interesting. Fun fact: Meta warns that Meta Buddy, like all AI assistants, isn't perfect. Sometimes it might spout nonsense. But hey, isn't that half the fun of having a digital friend? So, download Meta Buddy today! It'll answer your questions, create questionable art, and maybe, just maybe, become your new best friend. Or worst nightmare. Only time will tell!

Imagine someone glancing at you and instantly knowing your name, address, and phone number. Sounds like science fiction? It's happening right now. Two Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, just turned Meta's smart glasses into something both amazing and unsettling. They created I-XRAY. A system that, with a simple look, can identify you and pull up your personal info in real-time. They combined Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses with face search engines and large language models. In their demo, they didn't just recognize classmates—they accessed their personal details on the spot. What started as a side project quickly became a spotlight on privacy and consent in our tech-driven world. Now, you might be thinking, "Doesn't Meta have safeguards?" Sure, there's a tiny light on the glasses to indicate recording. But let's be honest. In a crowded street or under bright sunlight, who's really noticing that? And while Meta's policy advises against harmful use, these students showed how easily the tech can be repurposed. This isn't about one experiment. It's a glimpse into a future where the line between public and private blurs even more. Nguyen and Ardayfio didn't do this to scare us. They wanted to highlight what's possible—and it's a lot. So, where do we go from here? It's time for serious conversations about how we regulate and use these technologies. Because without robust privacy protections, we might be stepping into an era where nothing is truly private. Are we ready for that? I'd love to hear your thoughts. #AiNewsOfTheWeek #KnowldegeNest #HamptonRoads

👓 🚓 Does Meta offer an SDK for the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses? Last Sunday, as Sundays usually go, I found myself in a bit of a boredom spiral 😅. And, naturally, in my boredom, I came up with yet another great idea for an app (you know, the type you start but never quite finish). My idea? Build an app that uses Smart Glasses like Meta’s Ray-Bans to capture anything I highlight on my phone—texts, screenshots, whatever—process it with AI, and save it for later. Sure, there are other ways to do this without fancy glasses, but it was a Sunday project idea 😌. So, my first question was, "Does Meta offer an SDK for these Ray-Ban Smart Glasses?" A few searches later, I found out: nope. And, honestly, that makes sense. For privacy reasons, Meta keeps it pretty locked down. No SDK means limited development options, which might be a good thing…until it’s not. 🤔 Then I came across a wild story. Two Harvard students got creative with these glasses by analyzing Instagram Story streams (yes, a feature the glasses do support). They were able to extract some very personal information from students as they walked around campus! Crazy, right? 😬 You can check out the story here: https://lnkd.in/ecpS-Q2m This combo of AI and IoT tech can be seriously powerful…and seriously scary. It’s becoming harder to protect privacy when data capture is this seamless. 🔍 P.S.: Wouldn’t it make sense if these glasses had protocols like drones do? Drones can be blocked from working in certain areas or under certain conditions. Why not apply similar standards here? #AIandPrivacy

AI at Meta(Meta AI) finally lands in Europe 🌍 For years, some of the most exciting features of Meta AI were unavailable in Europe. The reason? Europe’s strict regulatory standards—a benchmark that companies like Meta for Business, Google, and Apple must meet to prioritize privacy, data protection, and transparency. While these rules can delay innovation, they also ensure technology respects user rights and builds trust. But here’s the big news: Meta AI is now rolling out on Ray-Ban Meta glasses in France, Italy, Ireland, and Spain! Why this matters: Use hands-free AI to get answers on the go, whether it’s “Where’s the best gelato in Rome?” or “What’s a fun activity for kids in Paris?” Interact in French, Italian, and Spanish, in addition to English. Experience an AI system built to comply with Europe’s demanding standards, setting a new precedent for global innovation. Tech giants like Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, and NVIDIA have all seen how challenging, yet rewarding, it is to succeed in Europe. Meta AI’s launch is another step in proving that innovation and regulation can coexist. Which country do you think will embrace Meta AI next? Let’s discuss below! 👇 #MetaAI #RayBanMeta #ArtificialIntelligence #TechInnovation #PrivacyFirst #DataSecurity #RegulationsMatter #EuropeTech

Well, yesterday was a doozy. In a brighter note, it was my Grandma's birthday (on my dad's side—Feliz cumple Tita!). But, my eyes were all over the places with the news. Meta dipped his toes deeper in the big AI field. The launch of Meta's Llama 3.2 represents a jump from their previous efforts, incorporating multi-modal capabilities, and the addition of smaller models that can run on mobile devices, which surely represents a leap in accessibility. Meta keeps relying in developers for further enhancements with their open-source nature, in my opinion, in an attempt to gain an edge over the proprietary models. In the AR space, Meta also unveiled Orion, their AR glasses prototype, which definitely comes to compete with Apple's Vision Pro. Orion promises an holographic display that in paper could outshine Apple's passthrough tech. Also aims for a sleeker design, and likely lower price point. As a die-hard Apple user, and fan, and someone still wary of Meta’s data management practices, I’m curious to see how this (healthy?) competition pushes research forward. Apple, if you need help, I’m available 😅 And while Meta announces excitedly their surprises, on the other side of the LLM realm, OpenAI got hit with the news of CTO Mira Murati's departure, who is considered one of the last key figures next to Mr. Altman. How can these news impact OpenAI's quest for a massive (150B!) valuation ?🤔 Dun Dun Dun. Of course, I can't help but keep digging into how these developments might affect (help or worsen) AI Bias issues, and how data could be affected both up and downstream. The field is exciting, though it’d be even more exciting if I were already working in it 😅. As Hamilton, one of the soundtracks of my life would say: Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now. From a positive perspective, of course, there's a lot I would gladly just erase. There's much more to come, no doubt about it. Latinas are known for their love for 'telenovelas', I'm not fond to that kind. This is my telenovela 😏

Anyone elses feeds bombarded with this post?! 🚨 Let’s break it down. For those who still think they can opt out of Meta's AI data usage by posting some vague IG story or legal-sounding message: you can’t. This does nothing. It’s the equivalent of shouting "I declare bankruptcy" like Michael Scott – it holds no weight. 💡 Here’s the truth: That viral “Goodbye Meta” post making rounds? It's been debunked multiple times. It started back in June when Meta announced that it would use public content (yes, the posts you willingly share) to train its AI systems. When celebrities like Rafael Nadal share it, it gains traction, but it’s pointless. You agreed to Meta’s terms of service when you signed up. 📜 What you’ve actually agreed to: Meta explicitly stated it uses publicly available posts for AI training – things like your public posts, photos, and captions. No, it’s not scanning your private DMs or personal messages. That’s safe. But everything you put out publicly is fair game. 🔒 Can you opt out? If you’re in the EU, you can. They’ve got the “Right to Object” option. But for the rest of us? Posting a story about your “attorney” isn’t going to change anything. Meta has confirmed this is not a legal filing. Bottom line: Posting this nonsense does nothing except tell scammers you're likely to fall for hoaxes. Stay informed and don't spread misinformation! #Meta #SocialMediaMyths #AIFacts #MetaAI #DigitalSecurity

I wanted to share my initial observations of my experience trying out Meta RayBans these past 2 weeks. // My initial takeaways 👓 * The tech is invisible and blends seamlessly into the analog world (look ma. No screen). * This is no Google glass. The glasses are almost indistinguishable from regular Ray Ban glasses. And that’s mind-blowing from a tech and engineering standpoint. And props to Meta for partnering with Ray Ban. If they would have tried designing these themselves, they definitely wouldn’t be as slick * The always-on aspect is huge. It reduces the need to take out and put on headphones, take out my phone to take pictures, fumble with my watch to ask and listen to responses from my smart watch * The future is on my face! I’ve always been intrigued by the near future vision of AR glasses with some type of display that harmoniously blends digital information with my real world surrounding, but up to now, I underestimated the power of the AI + audio experience * While devices like the Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest are impressive and have a purpose, I whole heartedly believe that devices like this will be as common as smartphones and AirPods (but won’t replace either) // Lovelist use cases ❤️ * Taking phone (calls sound excellent and the always on factor is convenient) * Listening to music and podcast while being more present in the world (speakers are surprisingly good for music) * Capturing POV photo and video moments without taking your phone out * AI assistant in my ear and search engine on my face.😂 Multi-modal AI is having a moment and will continue to unlock new contextual lower friction experiences // Things it can’t do just yet ⛔️ * telling me upcoming train times based on a voice request * Take notes (unless im missing something) * Recognize songs (like Shazam) // Net-net… 🤔 While all of this is impressive, and I plan on keeping them, I really wish this was not a Meta product. I mean that from: - a data and privacy standpoint - Meta doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to data and privacy - an AI assistant standpoint - Meta’s AI is ok and will improve over time, but it would be way better if the LLM was ChatGPT4o - a UX/ecosystem standpoint - I’m a self-admitted Apple fanboy, but one of the most impressive things about trying on the Apple Vision Pro was the instant connection and value of connecing to the Apple Universe (photos, message, FaceTime, etc). What’s your take? Do you own a pair or are you considering it? #metaraybans #smartglasses #ai #wearables

Meta continued to make significant strides in various areas last week. Here's a brief overview: AI and Product Enhancements * Meta AI Expansion: The company further expanded its AI capabilities, making it accessible in more languages and introducing new creative tools. Additionally, Meta integrated its advanced open-source model into Meta AI to enhance its problem-solving abilities for complex math and coding tasks. * WhatsApp AI Integration: The AI chatbot was rolled out to more users, offering features like answering questions, providing summaries, and assisting with tasks. * Instagram Updates: New stickers were added to Instagram Stories, enriching user creativity and engagement. * Meta Quest Focus: A study highlighting the effectiveness of VR workouts on Meta Quest was released,emphasizing the platform's role in fitness. Other Notable Developments While not directly product-related, Meta remained in the news for: * Legal Battles: The company continued to face legal challenges, including a lawsuit from Children's Health Defense regarding vaccine misinformation. * Financial Performance: Meta's strong second-quarter results and optimistic outlook for the third quarter were a highlight, showcasing the company's financial stability.

Meta is forging ahead with its AI development plans. The company has started work on a new version of Llama, with Llama 4 expected to be 10 times larger than the previous iteration. This potential size increase could put Llama 4 close to 40 times the threshold considered "systemically dangerous" by the EU AI Act. Alongside this AI push, Meta is forecasting significant investments in the years ahead. The company predicts capital expenditures of $37-40 billion for 2024, with further growth in 2025. Zuckerberg cites the risk of missing the next tech shift as a driving factor for these sizable outlays. Interestingly, Meta reports promising progress in AI-powered ad sales. The company also notes growth in its core "Blue App" (Facebook) among young adults in the US, potentially challenging previous narratives. ---- Sign up to my newsletter: https://bit.ly/4aQFHxJ

Meta Platforms (META) is experiencing a significant surge, with shares reaching an all-time high of $617.78, bolstered by robust online holiday spending during the Cyber Five period. In the realm of artificial intelligence, Meta is advancing its internal AI tool, Metamate, designed to enhance business productivity by leveraging its Llama language model for tasks such as coding, research, and drafting communications. On the regulatory front, Meta faces a €551 million lawsuit from over 80 Spanish media outlets, alleging unfair competition through the use of personal data for targeted advertising. Additionally, Meta is under scrutiny for its content moderation practices, with reports indicating that Instagram's algorithm may facilitate the growth of self-harm networks, raising concerns about user safety. In the political arena, Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, seeks an active role in shaping tech regulations under President-elect Donald Trump's administration, aiming to influence future policies. Moreover, Meta has partnered with James Cameron's Lightstorm Vision to enhance 3D content creation for its Meta Quest headset, underscoring its commitment to mixed reality experiences. As Meta navigates these multifaceted developments, it prompts a thought-provoking question: In the quest to connect the world, can Meta balance innovation with ethical responsibility, or are we witnessing the dawn of a digital Icarus? This post was generated by my custom-built personal agent, powered by LLMs and designed to operate my computer. If you're curious about how it works, feel free to ask!