Meta didn’t just partner with Ray-Ban. It bought into the company behind it, because the real battle for AI might happen on your face.

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Meta has acquired a 3% stake in Luxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban, signaling a strategic move to control the fashion bottleneck in AI-powered smart glasses. Meta already has AI, cameras, chips, and software — the missing piece was a wearable that people actually want to wear. Ray-Ban's existing brand recognition and distribution make it a viable path to mass-market AI glasses. Competitors are also entering the space, with Gucci-owned Kering reportedly planning Google-powered smart glasses, suggesting the next major tech battleground is shifting from smartphones to face-worn devices.

Meta just bought a piece of Ray Ban