Baidu Inc. is set to unveil a pair of glasses with a built-in AI assistant, putting up a Chinese rival to the Meta Ray-Bans that have proven a rare success in AI-powered hardware. China’s search leader and longtime investor in artificial intelligence plans to showcase the product at its annual Baidu World event in Shanghai next week, according to a person familiar with its schedule. The gadget will have built-in cameras to capture photos and video and will support voice interactions built atop Baidu’s Ernie foundation model, the person said, asking not to be named as the glasses are not yet public. The push to monetize AI has found expression in a series of hardware introductions this year, from the Humane Ai Pin flop to Microsoft Corp.’s better-received Copilot+ PC range. The Meta Platforms Inc. smart glasses, designed in collaboration with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica SA, are an older product that’s grown in features, capabilities and popularity this year. Meta said demand had outpaced its ability to supply new units and EssilorLuxottica has singled them out as a product driving new sales. Beijing-based Baidu is likewise working to capitalize on more than a decade of AI development, and its smart glasses will connect to a suite of products such as Baidu Maps and its online encyclopedia, Baike. Sales of the product, which will likely cost less than Meta’s $299, could start as soon as early 2025, the person said.

Full story : Baidu to Launch AI-Powered Smart Glasses as Affordable Rival to Meta’s “Ray-Bans”.