Mark Zuckerberg’s live demo of Meta’s new Ray-Ban Display smart glasses didn’t go as planned, as glitches unfolded in front of a packed audience at the company’s flagship Connect 2025 keynote.
The $799 glasses, internally codenamed Hypernova, have been promoted as a breakthrough in wearable AI technology. They feature digital assistants designed to act on behalf of users, part of Meta’s vision for what it calls “agentic AI.”
Instead of a polished unveiling, however, the keynote became a showcase of just how unpredictable live tech demos can be.
When the Demo Goes Wrong
The showcase began with Zuckerberg demonstrating how the glasses could display text and respond to subtle wrist motions via the Neural Band. The crowd applauded the futuristic vision — but things quickly went downhill.
Cooking creator Jack Mancuso joined Zuckerberg on stage to test the LiveAI recipe assistant, a feature designed to guide users through cooking steps in real time.
That’s when the glasses froze and the assistant “jumped around,” repeatedly skipping instructions. When Mancuso asked, “What do I do first?” the AI refused to answer and eventually skipped ahead, throwing the demo into disarray.
Tech journalist Lance Ulanoff of TechRadar, who attended the keynote, described the scene:
“The AI was clearly confused and jumping around. Developers always warn against live demos because when you’re at a keynote with thousands of people on Wi-Fi, things can go wrong. Apple figured this out years ago — that’s why their keynotes rely on pre-recorded demos instead.”
The Neural Band Fumble
The hiccups didn’t stop there. In another segment, Zuckerberg showcased the Neural Band — a wearable wristband that translates subtle muscle signals into digital inputs.
At first, it worked: Zuckerberg successfully sent and received a text from Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth. But when Bosworth tried to start a WhatsApp video call through the glasses, nothing happened.
Zuckerberg fiddled with the interface before giving up. Bosworth eventually joined him on stage, joking about the “brutal Wi-Fi” as the audience laughed.
Zuckerberg Stays Steady While Chaos Unfolds
Despite the stumbles, Zuckerberg kept his composure — even poking fun at the situation. And this made the event super special and funny. The way Mark manages the difficult situation is proof that he is a true entrepreneur
“You practice these things like a hundred times, and then you never know what’s gonna happen,” he told the audience with a grin.
Ulanoff noted:
“I’m sure Mark Zuckerberg felt extremely uncomfortable, but I give him credit for maintaining his calm and making a joke about it all. He has enthusiasm, and he’s willing to take risks — unfortunately, this time, it didn’t go his way.”
Meta’s Big Picture Vision
While the Connect 2025 keynote may be remembered for its glitches, Meta pitched the Ray-Ban Display glasses as a leap forward in wearable AI technology.
The device builds on Meta’s existing line of Ray-Ban smart glasses by adding a display, AI-powered assistants, and the Neural Band — features the company believes could one day make smartphones obsolete.
Even with the demo’s setbacks, Meta positioned the $799 device as the next step in bringing AI-powered personal technology into everyday life.
Final Thoughts
Live demo failures are nothing new in Silicon Valley. From Steve Jobs’ iPhone Wi-Fi issues in 2007 to Elon Musk’s infamous Cybertruck window mishap in 2019, tech launches have always carried the risk of going off-script.
For Zuckerberg, the Connect 2025 glitches were a reminder of how risky live AI showcases can be — but they also highlighted Meta’s determination to push boundaries in wearable computing.
The real question now: will consumers overlook the keynote stumbles and embrace Meta’s bold new direction for smart glasses?
Also Read: https://techmacknews.com/meta-ray-ban-display-smart-glasses/
