How are Meta's smart glasses helping people hear better using AI?

The answer

In 2025, Meta announced a major software update for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses introducing 'Hear Better' - a feature that uses AI-powered directional audio processing and noise suppression to isolate and amplify specific voices while filtering out background chatter. The technology represents a shift toward 'augmented hearing,' using the glasses' built-in microphones and AI processing to enhance real-world audio in real time. For the estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide with some degree of hearing loss, this could be transformative - offering hearing enhancement through fashionable consumer glasses rather than medical devices. The feature marks a new category of AI-powered sensory augmentation in everyday wearables.