At Meta’s Connect 2025 event, the company unveiled its much-anticipated smart glasses equipped with AI features meant to transform how we interact with the world. Unfortunately, the product’s live demos didn’t quite go as planned leading to some pretty noticeable hiccups on stage.
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What Went Wrong During the Demos?
The first major snag happened when chef Jack Mancuso was using the glasses’ Live AI feature to guide him through a recipe. Instead of smoothly walking him through the steps, the AI kept jumping ahead and repeating instructions, which threw off the whole demo.
Then during the keynote when Mark Zuckerberg tried to answer a WhatsApp video call via the Ray-Ban Display glasses, the alert didn’t show up on the glasses’ display. No matter how many times he tried, the call couldn’t be answered on stage.
The Real Reasons Behind the Failures
Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, later broke down the glitches. It turns out the problem wasn’t with the glasses themselves but with technical issues during the live event. When the chef started the Live AI, every pair of the smart glasses in the audience also activated the feature at the same time. Overwhelming Meta’s servers think of it like everyone rushing the same door at once and causing a crowd jam. This server overload made the AI glitch out.
As for the video call failure, that was due to an obscure software bug where the meta reyban glasses went into sleep mode right when the call alert came in, preventing the notification from showing. Meta has since fixed this bug.
What Comes Next?
Bosworth reassured everyone that these glitches were tied to the demo environment and not the overall product. The glasses themselves, with features like sleek in-lens displays, gesture control, and live translations, still have a lot to offer. Meta is already working to fix these issues and improve future demos and user experience.
What Does This Mean for Meta and Wearables?
While these demo failures were embarrassing, they are a reminder of the challenges that come with pioneering new tech, especially in live settings. Meta’s transparency helps maintain confidence that these are just growing pains.
The smart glasses market is still new and evolving, and Meta remains a key player. If they nail the tech, these glasses could still change how we live and work.
Other Embarrassing Tech Demo Fails in History
Meta’s demo issues at Connect 2025 are far from unique in the tech world. Many legendary companies have faced similar public hiccups during live presentations, reminding us that no matter how advanced the tech, live demos remain unpredictable.
- Steve Jobs and the iPhone 4 Wi-Fi Demo (2010): Even the master showman Steve Jobs struggled when demonstrating the iPhone 4’s internet browsing. The Wi-Fi connection failed live in front of the audience, leading Jobs to ask the crowd to disable hotspots for the demo to work properly. This moment showed how network issues can disrupt even the most rehearsed demos.
- Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertruck Window Break (2019): Musk famously tried to demonstrate the Cybertruck’s “shatterproof” windows by throwing a steel ball at it during the reveal. To everyone’s surprise, the glass shattered twice. The moment became an instant viral clip, highlighting how bold demos can go spectacularly wrong.
- Bill Gates and the Windows 98 Blue Screen of Death (1998): During a live demo of Windows 98’s USB plug-and-play capability, the infamous Blue Screen of Death appeared, crashing the system on stage. This has become one of the most iconic tech demo failures of all time.
- Google Gemini and AI Demo Failures (2024): Google also had public AI demo flops, including live translation failures and frozen software during key presentations. Despite warnings about the risks, these glitches reminded the industry how cutting-edge AI demos can be especially fragile.
These examples prove that even the biggest names in tech sometimes face embarrassing moments. What matters is how companies respond, learn, and improve. Meta’s transparency about its issues and focus on fixing bugs shows they are committed to moving forward despite this setback.
Sum up on Why Meta Smart Glasses Failed at Connect 2025
Meta’s highly anticipated smart glasses faced significant setbacks during the live demos at Connect 2025. The main issues stemmed from technical glitches rather than hardware flaws. When a cooking influencer activated the Live AI feature, it inadvertently triggered every pair of smart glasses in the venue, overwhelming Meta’s development servers and causing the AI to malfunction.
Additionally, a rare software bug prevented a WhatsApp video call alert from appearing during a keynote demo with Mark Zuckerberg. Meta’s CTO clarified these were demo failures caused by server overload and software bugs. Despite the embarrassments, Meta reaffirmed that the core technology works and they are actively fixing the issues. This serves as a reminder that live product demos, especially involving cutting-edge AI tech, can be unpredictable, but Meta remains committed to advancing wearable AI innovations.
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