Latest AR, XR, and AI Industry Updates

🚀 The Rise of Agentic AI in XR Development For years, AI in development mainly meant generating content or assisting developers — things like writing code, generating textures, or creating NPC dialogue. But a new paradigm is emerging: Agentic AI — AI systems that can plan, decide, and execute tasks autonomously. Instead of just helping developers with small tasks, AI agents can now participate in the development workflow itself. This is especially powerful in XR development (AR / VR / MR) where workflows involve multiple steps such as scene creation, scripting, physics setup, interaction design, testing, and optimization. ⸻ 🧠 What Makes AI Agentic? A true agentic system can: ✔ Plan tasks ✔ Execute multi-step workflows ✔ Use external tools ✔ Iterate and improve results ✔ Work toward a defined goal autonomously In simple terms: You define the goal → AI determines the steps. ⸻ 🛠 Agentic AI Tools Emerging in XR Development 1️⃣ Bezi AI An AI-powered platform focused on 3D and XR scene generation. Example prompt: “Create a VR showroom with interactive product displays.” Bezi can automatically generate: • 3D environment layout • Object placement • Basic interactions • Export-ready scenes for game engines. ⸻ 2️⃣ Model Context Protocol (MCP) MCP is an emerging AI integration standard that allows agents to interact with development tools and software environments. For XR pipelines this could allow AI agents to: • Access Unity or Unreal projects • Modify scripts and assets • Trigger builds • Run automated testing • Optimize scenes This enables AI agents to operate inside the development pipeline. ⸻ 3️⃣ NVIDIA Omniverse AI Agents Within digital twins and simulation workflows, AI agents can assist in building and managing complex 3D environments. Use cases include: • Smart scene assembly • Simulation automation • Industrial XR training environments • Digital twin interaction systems ⸻ 4️⃣ Convai (Agentic NPC Systems) Convai enables autonomous AI characters that can: • Perceive environment context • Hold conversations • Perform tasks based on goals • Act as intelligent training or simulation charact This is especially powerful for VR training, simulations. ⸻ ⏱ Impact on XR Development Agentic AI is starting to change XR workflows: • 30–50% faster prototyping • Reduced manual scene setup • Automated scripting assistance • Intelligent simulation agents Developers increasingly shift from manually building everything to guiding intelligent systems. ⸻ 🌍 The Future XR Pipeline XR development is evolving through stages: Manual Development ↓ AI-Assisted Development ↓ Agentic XR Workflows Soon developers may simply describe an experience like: “Create a VR safety training simulation for factory workers.” And AI agents will help orchestrate the pipeline — from scene creation to interaction logic and testing #AgenticAI #XRDevelopment #Unity3D #UnrealEngine #ImmersiveTech #VR #AR #AIagents #FutureOfWork

Spatial computing just had its most important month in a while. Hardware's heating back up. Enterprise blockers are falling. And memory itself? It just became... a place to be explored. Here are the 5 signals that matter most 🧵: 1/ Meta + Anduril: AR goes to war (and then to work). Meta is partnering with Anduril to deliver EagleEye, a rugged XR headset for the U.S. military—blending Meta’s optics + AI with Anduril’s battlefield OS. This isn’t about combat. It’s a blueprint for industrial AR—built for field work, logistics, energy, and more. The frontline interface for digital twins just got real. 2/ Apple Vision Pro quietly filled major enterprise gaps With visionOS 26, Vision Pro now supports Team Device Sharing. Your calibration & settings follow your iPhone—making shared headsets practical. More importantly: Shared Spatial Experiences means real-time, multi-user collaboration is now native. Apple didn’t shout about it—but this should accelerate enterprise adoption 3/ Snap + Niantic are building the AR Cloud. Snap’s new Specs (2026) will run Snap OS, feature OpenAI/Gemini AI, and support real-time contextual experiences. They also announced a multi-year partnership with Niantic Spatial to map the real world with centimeter precision. The result: persistent AR that everyone can see, everywhere. 4/ Real-time avatars just took a major leap. Apple’s new Personas look… eerily human. Google’s Project Beam? It uses Gemini AI to animate your likeness—so it can speak as you. Soon, your avatar could pitch, train, or meet… without you. This isn’t about avatars. It’s about the performance of self. 5/ 4D GSplats: Your memories just became places. A breakthrough from 4DV.ai turns regular videos into 3D scenes you can explore—with time as a dimension. Pause. Scrub. Walk around. All in your browser. It’s like stepping into a memory, not just watching it. And it hints at a future where our past is spatial, explorable, and alive. So what does all this mean? Check out the latest Dream Machines post here: https://lnkd.in/gUyDpRZe And if you enjoy, be sure to subscribe! Much more to come on spatial, AI, and the future of being human.

Google I/O just clarified its strategic vision for XR: a powerful, AI-driven Android XR platform poised to redefine human-computer interaction. This is less about new hardware, more about a fundamental shift in intelligent, ambient technology. From my vantage point in AR/VR and AI for sectors like Defence and Medical, Google's emphasis on Gemini AI powering everyday wearables is a critical validation. The Warby Parker and Gentle Monster smart glasses, featuring real-time translation, navigation, and smart capture, are not just fashion statements; they're the embodiment of proactive, context-aware assistance, moving XR into truly ubiquitous applications. This dual strategy, alongside Samsung's Project Moohan (standalone XR headset, Q4 with Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2) and XREAL's Project Aura – is brilliant. It cultivates both immersive experiences and elegant, pervasive utility, essential for broad ecosystem growth. For innovators and developers, Android XR with Gemini Nano offers a robust, privacy-first foundation for building next-gen, agentic AI applications. This signifies a leap towards devices that anticipate needs, enhancing workflows across consumer and enterprise landscapes. This isn't just a consumer play; the implications for industrial applications – from advanced training to operational efficiency – are immense. What are your predictions for how AI-powered spatial computing will transform our industries? #GoogleIO #AndroidXR #XR #SmartGlasses #AugmentedReality #AI #GenerativeAI #GeminiAI #WearableTech #Innovation #TechStrategy #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #YashBhalkar #SpatialComputing #EnterpriseAI

Meta leads the global XR (AR/VR headset) Market; AR glasses captured one-fourth of the share in Q3 2025, Counterpoint Research VR is slowing, while AR+AI smart glasses are expanding the market into a more “daily-wear” form factor, and that naturally fragments shares. #Meta still led VR but felt the slight slowdown. Meta's shipments dipped 4% YoY and share fell to 57% (from 71% in Q2). At the same time, AR smart glasses hit their highest-ever quarterly shipments, pushing AR to ~25% of total XR volumes, with #MicroLED rising to 25% of AR shipments. Meta’s strategy is clear with Ray-Ban Meta Display: enter early, scale fast through mainstream eyewear distribution, and make #AI + camera glasses a daily habit while displays mature. Notably, sales began Sept 30, so Q3 sell-in reflects just one day; the real signal will be Q4 demand and how quickly Meta can convert “glasses” into its next platform. RayNeo’s rise is what “right product at the right moment” looks like in #AR+AI glasses. It’s less about spec wars and more about shipping volume as the category moves to everyday utility. Sony remains the steady premium anchor with #PSVR2, because ecosystems beat one-off hardware cycles. When content and platform gravity are strong, you don’t need to win units; you win engagement. XREAL is quietly riding the shift toward display-led smart glasses as the mainstream “personal screen” use case forms. If comfort, optics, and portability keep improving, this lane will expand faster than many expect. PICO XR is proving that #XR demand for enterprise and location-based entertainment can still move meaningful volume. In a soft market, predictable deployments matter more than hype-driven launches.

The past two months have brought a wave of new spatial devices, from Valve’s latest VR hardware to Samsung’s Galaxy XR and a range of AI glasses from Meta, Even Realities, and others. With all this activity, it’s easy to focus only on what’s ahead. But Snap’s latest numbers on AR usage are a reminder of something simple. Augmented reality is already part of daily life. It has been here for years and has become so common that we barely talk about it. Snapchat deserves real credit for that. Back in 2015, they made AR mainstream by turning Lenses into a core part of social media. Fast forward to today, and Snap says more than 350 million people use AR on Snapchat every day, triggering about 8 billion Lens interactions per day. Once we all spewed rainbows from our mouths, filters and lenses became routine rather than emerging technology. More importantly, they shaped how people mix digital content with the physical world, which will play a key role in how we adopt post-smartphone devices like smartglasses and handle the growing volume of AI content. Decorating ourselves with AR on social media also paved the way for uses that now feel commonplace, such as virtual try-on for shopping or AR wayfinding to navigate a city. Mobile AR changed how people explore and buy products. It made what many still think of as a technology of tomorrow, a mundane tool of today. I like to think that AR filters are playing a role in preparing us for the wave of AI-generated content now filling our feeds. We’ve spent years navigating visuals that weren’t entirely real. That experience might help build the awareness needed to interpret what is genuine reality and what is not, at a time when generative images and video are everywhere. Mobile AR has become the unsung hero of XR. It’s so baked into how we communicate, create, and shop that we barely notice it anymore. That familiarity is also why the flood of generative AI content doesn’t feel as jarring as it could have. We’ve spent years blending digital elements into the real world through a phone screen. That normalcy is what will help AR glasses fit in when they arrive. They won’t feel like a leap. They’ll feel like the next step in habits we already practice every day, carried forward by the quiet success of mobile AR. #spatialcomputing #augmentedreality #smartglasses #AI

#CES 2026 wasn’t “AI everywhere.” It was AI moving from prompts → presence. AI is getting ambient, sensing, proactive. More intelligence is moving on-device (faster + privacy). Robots are proliferating as task specialists. Glasses/XR are going vertical (job-specific utility). Batteries + form factors are becoming use-case specific. The "so what" by industry: Automotive: shift to services-based ownership. Make maintenance seamless (predict → schedule → pay) so owners don’t think about it. CPG: products aren’t enough. Add category services + “machine-readable proof” so assistants recommend you by default. Retail: big retailers build AI ecosystems; smaller ones must partner (like delivery coalitions). Healthcare: care moves closer to life. Use pets to pilot wellness plans + monitoring engagement, then port learnings. Vet/Pet: create a subscription services relationship: monitoring → triage → preventative care. Restaurants: loyalty can’t be points. Pick your lane (value/access/personalization/community) and build a loyalty experience. High-tech: the UI is shifting to voice + vision + context. Design for “glance/no UI.” ISP/Wireless: beyond bandwidth—bundle edge AI + security + reliability in a few vertical plays. Transportation/Airlines: XR + AI hits ops first (training/maintenance/turnaround). Remove the top 3 time sinks. The CES question: Where will your brand be present—not just visible—when AI starts acting on behalf of people? #CES2026 #AI #EdgeAI #OnDeviceAI #Robotics #XR #Innovation #CustomerExperience #Retail #CPG #Automotive #Healthcare #Telecom Russell Wager Gabe Munch Bobby (Rajeev) Modi Mel Halkyard Laura Gustafson Andrew Solmssen Jordan Ste. Marie Sabrina Callahan Jay Picconatto Chaney Youngblood Heather Conneran Kieran Donahue Jason Villano Scott S. Lindsey McGowan Sarah Knox Allen McCormick Geraldine Tunnell Liz Matthews Nicole Rex Peter DeMaris Justin Ungs Samantha Hayes Chris Johnson Dan Khabie Kenny Tomlin Bourke Kelley Robyn Freye Julie Koepsell Preston Larson Morgan F. Michael Maginnis Scott Hamm Dan Pereira Kayla Brodman Marc Blaskey Alyssa Chico Ravine Lauren Anthony Miller Barbara Hudson

A tectonic shift in the XR market has occurred. It’s been a long time coming, but it became crystal clear to me at AWE 2025: Smartglasses and Mixed Reality are outpacing Virtual Reality as the primary drivers of future growth in the XR space and the consumer market is overtaking the enterprise sector as the leading force behind XR technology adoption. At AWE 2025, the number of companies showcasing smartglasses clearly outnumbered those focused on VR. Almost all the attention is now on consumer smartglasses (and other smart wearables) — a radical shift from previous years, when enterprise devices like HoloLens, Magic Leap, Vuzix, and RealWear were in vogue. All of these were absent from AWE 2025! Which leads me to these predictions: Over the next 2–3 years, the race will be in full flurry among the big tech companies and rising challengers to take slice of the consumer smartglasses and wearables market. Consumer adoption will be strongest among Gen Z, and this will ultimately drive enterprise adoption as they enter the workforce. Let’s take a look at what the major tech players are working on: META is expected to launch the third generation of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses with a built-in monocular display. Launch is anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026. They also recently teased an upcoming launch in collaboration with Oakley, with details set to be announced on June 20th. SNAP is preparing to release its Snap Spectacles as a consumer device in 2026. Now on their fifth generation of prototypes, they appear ready to go all in. If they can achieve the right form factor and price level, they have huge potential — especially among Gen Z, who are already highly engaged with the Snap brand on mobile. GOOGLE plans to develop and launch smartglasses in collaboration with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, as announced at Google I/O in May 2025. These glasses will be based on Google’s new Android XR platform and will feature deep integration with Gemini AI. Timing is uncertain, but late 2025 or early 2026 seems likely. APPLE will, as usual, be late to the race — but this time around, the challenges are even greater. Apple typically aims for perfection before launching new products, and smartglasses still involve too many compromises to reach Apple’s normal standards. Additionally, AI is critical to smartglasses — and Apple is currently struggling to deliver a truly competitive offering in the AI space (for good reasons, though that’s a topic for another day). My prediction: Apple may launch smartglasses in 2026 — if they can get their AI platform up to speed. And then there’s everyone else — the challengers trying to carve out their piece of the pie: Xreal, Even Realities, OPPO, Xiaomi, Huawei, and more. Will you be getting a pair of smartglasses in the next 12 months — even if you don’t need prescription lenses?

The Android XR Revolution: A Three-Year Journey Over the past three years, the world of extended reality (XR) has transformed, led by Google and its strategic partners. Android XR, Google’s OS for AR and MR devices, has achieved milestones reshaping wearable technology. February 2023 – Strategic Collaboration Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm announced a collaboration to develop XR devices based on Android XR, including AR glasses and MR headsets powered by Snapdragon chips and integrated with Gemini AI (The Verge ). May 2024 – Magic Leap Partnership Google partnered with Magic Leap to combine AR expertise and Google’s platforms, aiming to deliver innovative AR solutions for consumers and professionals. December 2024 – Android XR Launch Google officially introduced Android XR, integrating Gemini AI and supporting devices like Samsung’s Project Moohan and Project Astra glasses (blog.google ). January 2025 – HTC XR Division Acquisition Google acquired part of HTC’s XR division for $250M, transferring engineers and licensing HTC’s XR IP to strengthen Android XR development. May 2025 – Google I/O: Xreal, Warby Parker, Gentle Monster At Google I/O 2025, Google announced: Xreal: Project Aura AR glasses, the second official Android XR device. Warby Parker & Gentle Monster: stylish smart glasses partnerships. Both Project Moohan and Project Aura will be limited in quantity, with many units reserved for developers. September – October 2025 – Project Moohan Preview At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, Samsung previewed Project Moohan, officially launching October 21, 2025, in South Korea (Android Central ). Late 2025 – Google Android XR Glasses Google’s own Android XR glasses will arrive by the end of 2025, featuring Gemini AI, real-time translation, and an AR interface. Early units will target developers, with limited availability for consumers. Conclusion Android XR has grown into a vibrant ecosystem through partnerships and acquisitions. From Samsung and Qualcomm to Magic Leap, Xreal, and fashion brands, Google is shaping the next era of XR, combining style, intelligence, and immersive experiences.