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Meta plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses, report claims

Plus: Alibaba enters physical AI race with open-source robot model RynnBrain

Author

Hafizur Rahman
February 13, 2026

In partnership with

Today's Newsletter Highlights:

  • Meta plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses, report claims

  • Alibaba enters physical AI race with open-source robot model RynnBrain

  • Anthropic Adds New Board Member as It Eyes IPO

  • Best AI Tools

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Meta plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses, report claims

Meta is adding facial recognition to its smart glasses. This news comes from today’s TechCrunch article and other reports.

Latest on Meta’s Smart Glasses Facial Recognition Plans (Feb 13, 2026)

TechCrunch: Meta plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses, report claims.

Meta is said to be planning to add face recognition to smart glasses. This move comes as privacy advocates focus on other issues.

Key points :

  • Meta plans to add facial recognition software to its glasses. This move comes even with concerns about security and privacy.

  • What Meta is reportedly planning

  • Facial recognition for smart glasses: Meta plans to add this feature this year. This feature is called “Name Tag.” It will let wearers identify people and get information via the glasses’ AI assistant.

  • Possible use cases: This feature shows details about people you know on Meta’s apps, like Instagram and Facebook. However, it won’t automatically identify everyone the wearer sees.

  • Not yet final: Meta hasn’t officially launched “Name Tag.” The company is still evaluating the feature. They are looking at privacy and safety concerns before releasing it.

  • Why this is controversial

  • Past backlash: In 2021, Meta took away facial recognition from its platforms. This included Facebook photo tagging due to privacy concerns.

  • Privacy & ethics concerns: Facial recognition in wearables raises big issues. This means spotting people without their say. It also carries the risk of misuse for spying or harassment. Critics view today’s reports as a return to this divisive technology.

  • Timing concerns: Leaked documents hint that Meta might launch this feature soon. Privacy advocates are focusing on other issues. This could reduce public scrutiny.

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Alibaba enters physical AI race with open-source robot model RynnBrain

RynnBrain is a new open-source physical AI model from Alibaba. It gives robots advanced real-world capabilities. Sometimes, it's called an “AI brain” for robots. This allows them to see, reason, and act in the physical world.

Key Points :

  • RynnBrain, created by Alibaba’s DAMO Academy, mixes computer vision, language understanding, and motor-control reasoning. This helps robots see their surroundings and do tasks, not just follow set instructions.

  • Alibaba is making RynnBrain open-source. This will help increase its use and speed up robotics development worldwide.

  • 🧠 What Can It Do?

  • Early demos show RynnBrain-powered robots can:

  • Recognise objects and pick them up. For example, they can identify fruit and place it in a basket while using the right grip and movements.

  • These tasks may seem simple. However, they require spatial reasoning, object recognition, memory, precise motion control, and planning. These skills go far beyond traditional robotics automation.

  • 📈 Why This Matters

  • 🔹 China’s Push into “Physical AI”

  • RynnBrain is part of China’s wider move toward embodied AI. This type of AI interacts with the physical world, not just digital spaces.

  • China’s robotics industry is growing quickly. Companies are sending out thousands of humanoid robots. These robots will be used in factories, entertainment, logistics, and service jobs.

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Anthropic Adds New Board Member as It Eyes IPO

Former tech and government leader Chris Liddell has joined Anthropic’s board of directors — a strategic move as the AI company prepares for a potential initial public offering (IPO), according to The Wall Street Journal.

Key Points :

  • Who is Chris Liddell?

  • Liddell is a veteran executive who has held senior roles at Microsoft Corporation and General Motors Company — including helping lead GM’s $23 billion IPO after its bankruptcy.

  • He also served in the Trump administration, including as Deputy Chief of Staff, bringing experience in public service and regulatory affairs.

  • Why This Matters

  • Governance for growth: Liddell’s background with major corporations and public markets is seen as valuable for Anthropic as it weighs going public, possibly by the end of 2026.

  • IPO readiness: His appointment suggests Anthropic is laying governance and market credibility groundwork in advance of a large fundraising or listing event.

  • 🏢 Board Context

  • Liddell joins an existing board that includes tech and venture leaders such as co-founders Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, Reed Hastings, Yasmin Razavi, and Jay Kreps — a mix of AI founders and industry veterans.

  • 💰 Company Position

  • Anthropic, known for its Claude language models, recently closed a major funding round valued at roughly $380 billion.

  • The move toward public markets signals the company’s maturation beyond startup phase and heavy investment from backers like major tech and finance firms.

  • Broader Context

  • Anthropic has positioned itself publicly around AI safety and responsible development, contrasting its strategy with other AI firms while expanding into governance, policy engagement, and industry partnerships.

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