Justin Sullivan
Meta (NASDAQ:META) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is doubling down on a future beyond the smartphone, unveiling plans to merge advanced AI with wearable devices in a bid to challenge Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) dominance, writes Tim Higgins, columnist for The Wall Street Journal.
In a manifesto released this week, Zuckerberg outlined his concept of “personal superintelligence.” This idea includes AI-powered glasses that can see, hear and interact with users throughout their day, potentially replacing smartphones as the main gateway to the digital world.
“Personal superintelligence that knows us deeply, understands our goals, and can help us achieve them will be by far the most useful,” Zuckerberg wrote.
The tech mogul has long tried to displace the iPhone with Meta’s hardware offerings but has fallen short. Now, amid what he sees as Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) lag in AI, he’s investing aggressively, offering massive pay packages to secure top AI talent. Meta’s (NASDAQ:META) smartglasses currently work alongside smartphones, but future models are expected to have built-in displays and full AI assistant capabilities.
Other tech leaders are also racing toward new AI-first devices. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is acquiring wearable startup Bee, while OpenAI’s Sam Altman is teaming with former Apple designer Jony Ive on a still-secret AI gadget they believe could rival the smartphone.
Apple (AAPL) Chief Executive Tim Cook, meanwhile, defended the iPhone’s staying power, saying it will remain central to people’s lives even as complementary devices emerge. But with AI progressing faster than expected, Zuckerberg sees an opening to rewrite the rules of personal computing, this time on his terms, according to Higgins’ column on Sunday.