[SAN FRANCISCO] Meta Platforms bought a minority stake in the world’s largest eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, a deal that increases the US tech giant’s financial commitment to the fast-growing smart glasses industry, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Facebook parent Meta acquired just under 3 per cent of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, a stake worth around three billion euros (S$4.5 billion) at the current market price, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because deliberations are private. Menlo Park, California-based Meta is considering further investment that could build the stake to around 5 per cent over time, the sources added, though those plans could still change.

EssilorLuxottica’s American depositary receipts rose as much as 6.9 per cent to US$148, their biggest intraday jump since Apr 9. Representatives for Meta and EssilorLuxottica declined to comment.

Meta’s investment in the eyewear giant deepens the relationship between the two companies, which have partnered over the past several years to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart glasses. Meta currently sells a pair of Ray-Ban glasses, first debuted in 2021, with built-in cameras and an AI assistant.

Last month, it launched separate Oakley-branded glasses with EssilorLuxottica. EssilorLuxottica chief executive officer Francesco Milleri said last year that Meta was interested in taking a stake in the company, but that plan had not materialised until now.

The deal aligns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to AI, which has become a top priority and major expense for the company. Smart glasses are a key part of that plan.

While Meta has historically had to deliver its apps and services via smartphones created by competitors, glasses offer Meta a chance to build its own hardware and control its own distribution, Zuckerberg has said. The arrangement gives Meta the advantage of having more detailed manufacturing knowledge and global distribution networks, fundamental to turning its smart glasses into mass-market products.

For EssilorLuxottica, the deal provides a deeper presence in the tech world, which would be helpful if Meta’s futuristic bets pay off. Meta is also betting on the idea that people will one day work and play while wearing headsets or glasses.

Shares of Warby Parker, a competing glasses-maker, rose as much as 4.3 per cent on Bloomberg’s report. BLOOMBERG

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville tech company is recognized for its groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence.

Camgian was named “AI Company of the Year” by The Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network.

The award was presented today at the company’s Starkville headquarters.

Camgian is known for developing advanced AI and machine learning technology to support national security and military operations.

The company is also praised for keeping top engineering talent here in Mississippi.

“I think it’s a great tribute to the incredible work our team does every day, developing cutting-edge AI for our warfighters. We’re proud to grow in Mississippi and to have such strong local support,” said Camgian CEO Gary Butler.

The award is part of the SBDC’s Rise Program, which helps high-growth tech companies expand across the state.

For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and X.

[WASHINGTON] An imposter posing as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent AI-generated voice and text messages to high-level officials and foreign ministers, reports said Tuesday, the latest American official to be targeted by impersonators.

A cable from the top US diplomat’s office said the unidentified culprit was likely seeking to manipulate powerful officials “with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts,” the Washington Post and other US media reported.

The imposter contacted at least three foreign ministers, a US state governor, and a member of Congress using both text messaging and the encrypted messaging app Signal, according to the cable dated July 3.

Starting in mid-June, the imposter created a Signal account using the display name “Marco.Rubio@state.gov” to contact the unsuspecting officials, it added.

“The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal,” said the cable.

The contents of the messages were unclear.

Responding to an AFP request for comment, the State Department said it was aware of the incident and was “currently investigating the matter.”

“The Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents,” said a senior State Department official.

The impersonation of Rubio was one of “two distinct campaigns” being probed in which threat actors impersonate State Department personnel via email and messaging apps, the cable said.

The second campaign began in April and involves a “Russia-linked cyber actor” who conducted a phishing campaign targeting personal Gmail accounts associated with think tank scholars, Eastern Europe-based activists and dissidents, journalists and former officials, it said.

The cyber actor posed as a “fictitious” State Department official and sought to tap into the contents of the users’ Gmail accounts, added the cable.

‘Malicious actors’

The hoaxes follow an FBI warning that since April cyber actors have impersonated senior US officials to target their contacts, including current and former federal or state government officials.

“The malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages – techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively – that claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts,” the FBI said in May.

In May, President Donald Trump said an impersonator breached the phone of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

US senators, governors and business executives received text messages and phone calls from someone claiming to be Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The breach prompted a White House and FBI investigation, but Trump played down the threat, saying Wiles “can handle it.”

Senior Trump administration officials have courted criticism for using Signal and other unofficial channels for government work.

In March, then-national security advisor Mike Waltz inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal chat group discussing US strikes in Yemen. The episode led to Waltz’s ouster.

With proliferating AI voice cloning tools – which are cheap, easy to use and hard to trace – disinformation researchers fret the impact of audio deepfakes to impersonate or smear celebrities and politicians.

Last year, a robocall impersonating then-president Joe Biden stoked public alarm about such deepfakes.

The robocall urged New Hampshire residents not to cast ballots in a Democratic primary, prompting authorities to launch a probe into possible voter suppression and triggering demands from campaigners for stricter guardrails around generative AI tools. AFP