In what can only be described as a tech CEO's worst nightmare, Mark Zuckerberg watched his company's biggest product launch of the year turn into a live disaster as Meta's new $800 AI-powered smart glasses repeatedly failed during crucial demonstrations at Meta Connect 2025.
"I don't know what happened," Zuckerberg said as the highly anticipated demos of Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses crashed not once, but twice in front of thousands of attendees and livestream viewers.
When AI Meets Murphy's Law
The embarrassment began during what was supposed to be a showcase of the glasses' "Live AI" cooking capabilities. In one live segment of the Meta Ray-Ban display demo, chef and content creator Jack Mancuso requested a Korean-style steak sauce recipe via the glasses. Instead of guiding step-by-step, the AI assistant offered responses out of context, leaving both the chef and audience confused.
"You've already combined the base ingredients," the glasses repeated, leaving Mancuso shrugging at the crowd.
But the technical difficulties didn't stop there. Later, while wearing Ray‑Ban Meta glasses and the neural wristband, Zuckerberg repeatedly failed to answer an incoming video call on stage despite multiple attempts, eventually giving up as the ringtone continued, creating an awkward silence that seemed to stretch forever.
Zuckerberg's WiFi Defense
Faced with mounting technical failures, Zuckerberg quickly moved to damage control mode. In addressing these unexpected errors, Zuckerberg blamed a "messed-up" WiFi connection. "The irony of the whole thing is that you spend years making technology and then the WiFi on the day catches you," he said, attempting to laugh off the situation.
The Real Story Behind the Glitches
However, Meta's own CTO later revealed a different story to TechCrunch. Bosworth said that it was caused by a "never-before-seen bug" that had put the display to sleep at the very instant that the notifications came in that someone was calling. Even after Zuckerberg woke up the display, there was no option to answer the call. The CTO said Meta had never come across this specific issue before, contradicting the WiFi explanation.
The Stakes Couldn't Be Higher
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $799 AI glasses launch turned embarrassing after two live demo failures at the Meta Connect 2025 keynote in California. The timing couldn't have been worse for Meta, which has invested billions in its AI and wearable technology push.
The social media giant's demos repeatedly failed, leading to awkward stares, deafening silences, and muted laughter. The poor showing painfully demonstrates that the tech is far from ready, even as companies continue to shove AI into every aspect of our daily lives.
A Billion-Dollar Bet on Shaky Ground
Meta's AI glasses stumbled during live demos at Connect 2025, raising debate over whether glitches hurt or helped its $1 trillion bet. The company has positioned these smart glasses as a cornerstone of its future strategy, making the public failures particularly damaging.
Meta's ambitious AI wearable push at Connect 2025 hit a snag as a live demo of its new Ray-Ban Display glasses failed on stage. The highly-anticipated "Live AI" cooking demo and a WhatsApp video call both glitched, underscoring the challenges of a future dependent on flawless connectivity.
Silver Lining or Disaster?
While critics were quick to pounce on the failures, some analysts found a silver lining. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI glasses demos glitched twice at Connect 2025, prompting analyst Gene Munster to predict backlash while praising him for "doing it live."
The question now is whether these very public failures will hurt consumer confidence in Meta's AI ambitions or simply be remembered as growing pains for revolutionary technology. What's certain is that Zuckerberg's WiFi excuse won't be enough to cover up the fact that when it mattered most, Meta's billion-dollar bet on AI glasses left its CEO saying, "I don't know what happened."
For a company that prides itself on connecting the world, Meta's inability to connect a simple video call on stage speaks volumes about the challenges still facing AI-powered wearables.
