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Meta’s AI smart glasses include a feature called conversation focus, which is designed to cut background noise and make the person in front of you more audible. The company recently said it would enable rate limits for this particular feature, which was understandably met with widespread criticism. Well, it now looks like the company has finally budged in response to the public outcry.
In a statement to The Verge, Meta said it is pausing the conversation focus “subscription test” after listening to feedback. The company said the feature will continue to be available at no cost through its Early Access Program while it comes up with “a better approach.”
However, there’s still some ambiguity here as Meta only says it’s taking a pause right now, and that it will consider all options before reaching a conclusion. We also see the company laying the groundwork for a potential subscription-based usage system for conversation focus.
Here’s what Meta spokesperson Tyler Yee told the publication:
So while users of Meta’s smart glasses may not have much to worry about in the near term, the company may end up enacting limits on the use of conversation focus in the future. One of the key criticisms of Meta’s initial decision was that conversation focus runs completely on-device, and hence limiting users didn’t make sense. As The Verge points out, conversation focus continues to work even without internet access.
However, Meta seems to suggest that its subscriptions would recover the cost of selling its smart glasses “at accessible prices” rather than any cloud-related costs. On the bright side, the spokesperson confirms that not all premium features will be hidden behind a subscription.
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