EssilorLuxottica has a near monopoly on the eyewear market worldwide, and its brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley are among the most recognizable on the planet. In comparison, AI assistants like Meta AI and Gemini are becoming almost a commodity, with no company’s model having a meaningful advantage over the rest of the industry. […]

Last week The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal reported Meta is exploring a multibillion-euro investment in EssilorLuxottica, representing a roughly 5% stake, which could help it wield influence in the company’s decision-making on future smart glasses. Heath says his sources suggest Meta’s investment is “likely” to go through, and that it’s “extremely unlikely that Meta loses the partnership to Google”.