Meta's AI glasses have been 'life-changing' for one registered blind man
Now this is the type of AI usage we can get behind
😎 A registered blind British man has said Meta's Glasses have been "life-changing" for him
👍 Andy Evans says that the glasses have allowed him to work again after a year, to order food in restaurants, and to be aware of any obstacles in front of him
🤖 The glasses have speakers and a camera inside, and the Meta AI assistant, which has been key in helping him out
🙌 He is now working for the Sight Support West of England Charity to help those also adjusting to sight loss
A British man who is registered blind says that Meta's AI glasses have been "life-changing".
Andy Evans, who lives near Bath in Somerset, has returned to work after a year of being unemployed because of his sight loss. And he says Meta’s AI glasses are partly responsible.
Evan says that the glasses have given him a "much better quality of life", according to an interview with the BBC. The glasses allow him to order food in restaurants again, and find out "what obstacles are in front" of him by asking his glasses. He normally uses a white cane.
In the UK, it's possible for users to select from a range of celebrity voices to speak to them. Evans says he has enlisted the help of Dame Judi Dench, who he said calls him James Bond and 007.
Before having the glasses, Evans also said he was "really stuck doing a lot of things" and had been out of work for a year, having previously done a night shift at UK supermarket Morrisons.
He isn't the only person to praise the Meta Glasses, either. Robin Spinks, the head of inclusive design at the RNIB, or Royal National Institute of Blind People charity, said that the glasses were making a "real tangible impact for blind and partially sighted people".
Spinks described the glasses as "transformational" and is registered blind himself. He uses the glasses every day to get descriptions of "a room or a scene on the beach or even a zoo enclosure."
Meta's Glasses are now in their second generation and have seen the social media giant partner with both Ray-Ban and Oakley. The designer frames have speakers and a camera inside for tasks such as listening to music or taking vertical video for social media purposes.
They also have an AI assistant built in, Meta, which can answer questions about what's in front of you – the key feature that has given them a useful accessibility boost, it seems.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.