Meta is expected to unveil new AI-powered smart glasses at its annual Connect developer conference on Wednesday, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg continuing to promote the technology as a key step toward the future of human-computer interaction.

According to Forrester Research Director Mike Proulx, this year’s event is likely to be heavily focused on artificial intelligence. “Last year, the spotlight shifted from the metaverse to AI. This year, expect AI—particularly smart glasses and talk of superintelligence—to dominate the conversation,” he said.

While Meta had previously teased a prototype of its advanced holographic AR glasses, dubbed Orion, those are still years away from reaching consumers. Instead, analysts predict the company will showcase a new version of smart glasses, potentially featuring a built-in display operated via a wristband.

“These new glasses may be more experimental but are expected to offer users access to information like time, weather, notifications, photo previews, live captions, and speech translation,” said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson. He added that they could also support early integrations with WhatsApp, Instagram, and Meta’s AI assistant.

Meta is also anticipated to announce updates to its Ray-Ban smart glasses line, which are expected to come with enhanced AI features capable of interpreting the user’s surroundings and context.

While Meta has not disclosed sales figures, the company said the current generation of smart glasses have exceeded expectations, especially among content creators.

“For over a decade, Zuckerberg has envisioned glasses and headsets as a bridge between the physical and digital worlds,” said Husson. “Despite earlier setbacks, the push toward mainstream adoption appears to be gaining traction.”

In addition to hardware, the Connect event is expected to highlight AI developments, including updates to Meta’s standalone AI assistant app. Like other tech giants, Meta has been investing heavily in AI innovation and talent acquisition.

In a July post, Zuckerberg outlined his vision for “personal superintelligence,” which he believes will significantly accelerate human progress. Though he claimed this goal is now within reach, he offered few specifics on how it would be realized.

Zuckerberg sees AI smart glasses as a primary interface for interacting with this future form of intelligence—also referred to in the industry as artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Zuckerberg is scheduled to deliver his keynote address Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.