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Robert Downey Jr. joins Snap’s SPECS as chief customer experience officer
The actor will help develop original content, augmented reality experiences and hardware collaborations
SANTA MONICA: Actor Robert Downey Jr. has joined SPECS, Snap’s augmented reality glasses business, as honorary chief customer experience officer, taking on a role focused on developing original content, new digital experiences and hardware collaborations.
Downey Jr. will work with the SPECS team to explore how augmented reality (AR) can be used across entertainment, education, medicine, engineering and manufacturing. The glasses function as a computer built into see-through eyewear, allowing users to interact with digital experiences through hand gestures and voice commands.
The actor, who has spent nearly two decades exploring augmented reality concepts, said he was impressed by the product after trying it for less than a minute.
“Trying is believing,” Downey Jr. said, adding that the technology could help families share experiences, support skill development and streamline business processes.
Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said Downey Jr.’s longstanding interest in the technology would help the company shape the future of augmented reality.
Downey Jr.’s first project in the role is a collection of original episodes demonstrating the glasses’ capabilities. The content explores applications ranging from improving workspaces and practising golf to watching entertainment and developing artistic skills.
The episodes are available on the SPECS website and YouTube, with more instalments planned.
The partnership will also receive television exposure, with an original episode scheduled to air during the New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers tip-off game. Another episode is set to debut during Game 1 of the World Series on 23 October.
The appointment highlights Snap’s efforts to develop computing experiences beyond its core social media platform, Snapchat.
Snap operates SPECS through Specs Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary focused on making computing more human. The business is developing AR glasses that bring digital content into users’ surroundings, with applications spanning personal entertainment and professional tasks.
Downey Jr.’s role combines product exploration with content development, giving SPECS a public-facing advocate as it works to make augmented reality more accessible to consumers and businesses.
