Meta plans AI pendant test as wearable ambitions gather pace

MUMBAI: The next big AI assistant may not sit in your pocket or on your wrist, it could simply hang around your neck. Meta Platforms is reportedly preparing to test an artificial intelligence-powered pendant within the next year, signalling its latest push to expand beyond smart glasses and deepen its presence in the rapidly evolving wearable technology market. According to a report by The Information, the plans were outlined in an internal memo from Alex Himel, Meta’s Vice President of Wearables, as the company looks to broaden its portfolio of AI-driven devices and strengthen a hardware business that continues to face significant financial pressure.

The proposed AI pendant is expected to build on technology acquired through Limitless, an AI wearables start-up Meta purchased in 2025. The company developed a pendant-style device capable of recording conversations, generating transcripts and creating searchable summaries through a companion application.

Meta’s version is reportedly being positioned as a personal AI assistant designed to help users organise information, summarise daily interactions and support productivity-focused tasks. Internal testing is expected to begin within the next 12 months.

The move comes as Meta seeks new growth avenues for its struggling Reality Labs division, which posted a first-quarter loss of $4.03 billion on revenue of $402 million, underscoring the high cost of its long-term bet on emerging technologies.

The pendant, however, is only one piece of a much larger wearable puzzle. Meta is also said to be expanding its smart glasses portfolio, building on its partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley parent EssilorLuxottica. The company has increasingly positioned AI-enabled eyewear as a key gateway to mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence.

Beyond consumer devices, Meta is reportedly developing a subscription-based enterprise platform called “Wearables for Work”, aimed at integrating AI-powered wearables into workplace productivity tools. Early deployments are expected to target large organisations through pilot programmes.

The company is said to be targeting 10 million wearable device sales in the second half of 2026, supported by new product launches and wider international availability.

For Meta, the strategy reflects a broader ambition: turning AI from something users interact with on screens into something they wear throughout the day. Whether that future sits on people’s faces, clips onto their clothing or hangs from a lanyard remains to be seen but one thing is clear, the race to make AI wearable is moving from science fiction to the product roadmap.