Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the plans. In the meantime, Meta has leaned into an unexpected interim success on the road to AR with its camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Riding a wave of excitement around emerging generative AI technology, the company announced at last year's Connect conference that it was adding an AI-powered digital assistant to the glasses, turning a once-forgotten device into the most popular AI wearable on the market. Although Meta has not disclosed sales numbers for the smart glasses, the CEO of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica said this summer that more of the new generation sold in a few months than the old ones did in two years. Market research firm IDC estimates that more than 700,000 pairs of the glasses have shipped since the update last year. Meta recently extended its partnership with EssilorLuxottica and contemplated a possible investment in the eyewear company, prompting speculation that the AR glasses may also bear the Ray-Ban name.