Meta donating free AI glasses to blind people across Ireland

Meta is donating 15,000 pairs of their controversial AI glasses to the visually impaired.

The glasses, which have come under severe criticism for the ability for users to film people in public without their consent.

Many early users have used the glasses to secretly film women being harassed by "content creators" leading to intense online bullying.

Courts in England and Wales have joined a number of restaurants and theatres banning the glasses, with many describing them as “spyware”.

Eligible adults will receive a free pair, which Meta says will offer transformative AI technology so that blind and low vision people can read everything from signage to documents, identify objects and access information about the world around them.

Vision Ireland will offer hands-on training with every pair, funded by Meta, so that everyone receiving a device feels confident using the technology.

Vision Ireland is Ireland’s national sight loss charity and earlier this year jointly hosted an AI glasses Demo Day at Meta Ireland HQ.

Team members from Vision Ireland and advocates from across the blind and low vision community were given hands-on tutorials with Meta’s AI glasses, and took part in a roundtable discussion where demo participants shared their feedback on their experience using the glasses.

Eligible people who are blind or low vision can register their interest online via meta.vi.ie or via the dedicated phone number +353 1 882 1910. Vision Ireland will then manage a phased roll-out process from application, assessment, eligibility and selection through to in person training and support.

Chris White, Chief Executive Officer, Vision Ireland: “This transformative gift of 15,000 Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to the blind and vision-impaired community will give thousands of people greater independence, confidence and choice in their everyday lives. As Ireland’s national sight loss charity, Vision Ireland is immensely proud to lead the national rollout and help ensure this innovative technology delivers

meaningful and lasting impact.”