Imagine finding yourself in a foreign country, unable to speak the language, stumbling upon a construction zone. The air is thick with dust, fatigue sets in as you still carry the smell of the airplane. Amidst the loud jackhammers, you attempt to decipher the signs: should you cross the street, walk another block, or turn around? I recently encountered such a scenario but came prepared. I had traveled to Montreal to test Meta's Ray-Ban smart sunglasses, equipped with a new AI translation feature. Within just 10 minutes of embarking on my first walk, I found myself faced with a multitude of perplexing orange detour signs. The purpose of the AI translation feature is to provide wearers with a convenient and hands-free way to understand text written in foreign languages, making this the perfect opportunity to test its real-time functionality. As an excavator roared nearby, I glanced at a sign and directed my sunglasses to translate its contents. However, before I could even finish my request, a stressed Quebecois construction worker began shouting at me and pointing northward. Scrambling to comply, I hurriedly crossed the street. Right at the start of my AI adventure, I encountered the biggest limitation of this translation software—it currently lacks the ability to interpret spoken language. It can only process written words. I was already aware that the feature was only capable of translating text, so this came as no surprise. However, as the next 48 hours unfolded, I discovered several other less evident restrictions.

I put the AI translation to the test with various street signs, business signage, advertisements, historical plaques, religious literature, children's books, tourism guides, and menus. The results, as expected, were highly diverse. Occasionally, the translation proved competent, such as when it accurately conveyed that the book I picked up for my son, "Trois Beaux Bébés, " was about three beautiful babies. However, for basic words like "ouvert" meaning "open, " the translation was repeatedly provided, despite my familiarity with the term. On other occasions, my robotic translator fell short. For instance, it translated the sign for the infamous adult movie theater, Cinéma L'Amour, as. . . "Cinéma L'Amour" (a commendable effort, but Google Translate at least offered "Cinema Love"). During restaurant visits, I struggled to make it read the entire menu. Instead of providing a detailed list of burger options at a brew pub, it simply stated the presence of "burgers and sandwiches, " refusing to be more specific despite my insistence. The following night, at an Italian restaurant, I encountered a similar issue. It offered a broad summary of the menu instead of providing detailed descriptions. I was informed of the presence of "grilled meat skewers, " but not that they included duck confit, lamb, and beef options, nor their respective prices. Overall, the AI translation feature currently feels more like an unpredictable party trick than a truly indispensable travel tool for navigating foreign lands. How It Works (or Doesn't) To utilize the AI translation, a wearer of the smart glasses must utter the following magical words: "Hey Meta, look at. . . " and then proceed to request a translation of what they see.