Brilliant Labs raises $3 million to launch AI-enhanced augmented reality glasses

Brilliant Labs has raised $3 million in funding for its AI-driven augmented reality glasses.

The company has also launched a renamed generative AI application, now called Noa, previously known as arGPT. It has also integrated the open-source visual AI model Stability AI into its flagship AR device, Monocle.

Brilliant Labs stated that this seed funding round was oversubscribed and was provided by Wayfarer Foundation, former Paylocity founder Steve Sorowitz, and Coho VC. The device faces competition from Meta's recently announced Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

The new funding injection from major players in the AR and generative AI industry strengthens Brilliant Labs' advancement in generative AI technology. This funding round surpasses the initial $3 million seed investment, positioning Brilliant Labs as a provider of AR devices and offering an open-source ecosystem for developers and consumers seeking reliable personal AI assistants.

Ethical AI

Brilliant Labs and Wayfarer Foundation are leading the development of the world's first ethical framework for wearable AI devices, setting new precedents for the industry.

Bobak Tavangar, CEO of Brilliant Labs, stated in a press release, "This is a significant milestone on our path to creating an open-source ecosystem that will bring embedded AI devices to life for the next generation. Crucially, our vision for the future has also been recognized and supported by key players in the AR and generative AI industry."

The renamed Noa application plays a central role in Brilliant Labs' mission. The initial version of Noa, integrated with OpenAI, was launched on the iOS platform, enabling real-time language translation into English and allowing users to distinguish truth from fiction in conversations through ChatGPT.

With the addition of Stability AI, Brilliant Labs takes a significant step forward. This integration brings together generative AI models like Whisper, Stability AI, and ChatGPT into wearable devices similar to Monocle, allowing users to create AI-generated images from real-time snapshots of their lives.

Consumers can connect the Noa application, available on the App Store for iOS and now on Google Play for Android phones, to Brilliant Labs' Monocle AR wearable device via Bluetooth to access Stability AI features. By tapping and long-pressing the touch sensor on Monocle, users can capture images of their surroundings through the front-facing camera. They can then use voice commands to edit the captured images with Stability AI.

Developers can also fine-tune Stability AI's parameters through the Noa application, adjusting the visual style of the generated images to suit their preferences, whether they desire fantastical or realistic outputs.

Founded in 2019, Brilliant Labs was co-founded by former Apple employees Bobak Tavangar, Raj Nakarja, and Ben Heald, with the aim of revolutionizing human-computer interaction through the development of generative AI embedded AR glasses. The company's flagship product, Monocle, is an open-source wearable AR device designed to empower hackers and creatives to reimagine the future of wearable AI.