Inclusive innovation: Why solving for the “edges” of humanity creates the best products for the centre

Inclusive Innovation: Meta’s AI Wearables Bridge Gaps, Empowering Humanity at Web Summit Lisbon 2025

Anna Gordon, Director of Product Marketing Wearables at Meta Platforms, Inc., addressed the historical challenge of technology acting as a middleman. She noted how computing’s evolution, from room-sized machines to pocket devices, consistently forced human adaptation, leading to issues like “tech neck” and requiring users to learn machine languages to stay connected.

Meta is pioneering the “invisible interface” era, where AI and wearables adapt to users, breaking accessibility barriers. This enables seamless interactions, such as navigating unfamiliar cities or understanding foreign languages without screens, offering autonomy for millions. Claire Stanley, who is visually impaired, now uses AI for real-time train information, gaining significant independence in her daily commute.

Meta integrates technology stylishly and invisibly, partnering with brands like Ray-Ban. Ms. Gordon described wearables and AI as a powerful synergy: wearables provide context and senses, while AI offers intelligence. She demonstrated this by using display glasses as a teleprompter, layering notes seamlessly into her vision during her presentation, allowing her to remain present with the audience.

Meta’s roadmap includes AI glasses and display glasses, the latter offering a high-resolution contextual display. These can transcribe conversations in real-time or project navigation paths directly onto streets, enhancing natural senses. The ultimate vision is Orion, full holographic AR glasses, capable of overlaying high-definition 3D holograms onto the physical world, like virtual screens or recipes.

Control for these advanced interfaces is achieved through the Meta neural band. This breakthrough replaces traditional input by detecting subtle neuromuscular gestures, allowing silent, hands-free control. This combination of neural band, wearables, and AI fosters “true personal empowerment,” providing convenience and, crucially, greater independence for people with disabilities.

Meta collaborates with Be My Eyes, connecting users with 7 million volunteers for human assistance when AI capabilities are insufficient. The “detailed response” feature transforms Meta AI into a vivid narrator for the visually impaired, offering rich contextual descriptions of surroundings. Meta’s $2 million AI Glasses Impact grants support innovators driving real-world change, exemplified by users like Andy Evans and Noah Courier.

Ms. Gordon concluded that designing for “the edges of humanity”—like the typewriter for the blind or the remote control for limited mobility—ultimately benefits everyone. This sophisticated AI-human partnership aims to create a world without barriers, where technology intelligently understands and fulfills individual needs, fostering a future of universal empowerment.