# Could AI replace the tour guide? I took these £429 smart glasses sightseeing in New York - with Judi Dench in my ear - to find out > Source: > Published: 2026-08-10 14:41:02+00:00 # Could AI replace the tour guide? I took these £429 smart glasses sightseeing in New York – with Judi Dench in my ear – to find out **READ MORE:**[Same location, VERY different price... The London hotels where you can stay almost next door to luxury for a fraction of the cost](/travel/article-16036639/london-luxury-hotels-cheaper-places-stay.html)**Want to holiday like a travel expert? Get free access to this subscriber article about the best Greek islands to visit (and the worst ones to avoid) when you sign up**[HERE](https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/escape-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&utm_medium=organic_editorial&utm_campaign=conversion_newsletter&utm_term=greekislandspromoblob&utm_budgetpot=organic)to the Escape newsletter**See more Daily Mail on Google -**[save us as a Preferred Source](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=dailymail.com) 'Officially, there are 13,587 yellow cabs in New York,' Dame [Judi Dench](/tvshowbiz/judi-dench/index.html) tells me as I stroll along the busy Manhattan streets past a line of the iconic taxis. 'Also, the shade isn't random,' the A-list actress adds when I ask for more detail. 'It's Dupont M6284, picked because a study found it's the most visible from a distance. Stay safe!' Who'd have thought I'd have such an illustrious – and knowledgeable – tour guide for the day? Well, to be frank, I don't. And to anyone watching nearby, I would simply look like a confused tourist muttering to myself in a pair of tortoiseshell Ray-Ban specs. That's because Judi is, in fact, the 'celebrity voice' I have chosen for my pair of [Meta](/sciencetech/meta/index.html) AI glasses. I've been invited to New York by the tech giant to try its '[AI](/sciencetech/ai/index.html) live' feature, which lets wearers chat in real-time to an in-built voice assistant while on-the-go. In theory, the gadget – kitted out with a 12-megapixel camera, five microphones, and two speakers beside either ear – should be a holidaymaker's dream companion. So what better way to put it through its paces than entrusting the £429 pair of specs as my tour guide for a day? Jim Norton tried out a pair of Meta AI glasses in New York He tested the 'AI live' feature, which lets wearers chat in real-time to an in-built voice assistant while on-the-go I start in Manhattan. 'Hey Meta', I ask, 'What's the best building to get a bird's-eye view of New York?' I'm expecting the Empire State Building, but to my surprise it opts for the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. It's shorter than its more famous cousin, I'm told, but slightly cheaper and it hosts a glass ledge looking 1,000ft down to the ground – for 'the most wow factor'. Half an hour later up the top, I ring my parents as I step out onto it. The glasses pair to your phone, allowing the person you call to see exactly what you're seeing. My mother answers and is greeted by a perilous drop. It's a short call to say the least. Hungry for some brunch, I ask the glasses for the best bagel spot. It recommends Ess-a-Bagel, which has been creating award-winning dough and fillings since 1976. I go for the Pepe, crammed with hot roast beef, bacon and melted cheese. It's a holiday, so I also buy a massive slice of cheesecake and a large sweetened ice-cold matcha with oat milk. 'Hey Meta, how many calories is this?' I ask. It takes a picture of the bagel oozing with mayonnaise and runs me through its workings. 'Roughly 1,550 to 1,850 cal', it concludes, adding: 'That's a full day's worth in one glorious sitting.' I can't decide if it's learned sarcasm yet. The glasses boast a 12-megapixel camera, five microphones, and two speakers beside either ear Either way, I need some exercise. I ask my glasses for the best historical walking tour. Quick as a flash, it suggests a two-mile stroll through Central Park with eight landmarks along the way. I emerge from 72nd Street Station to my first stop – The Dakota apartment block, where John Lennon was shot in 1980. AI has a reputation for being eager to please. Not this one. I want to stand exactly where it happened, I say. 'I won't give you the exact spot for privacy and safety reasons,' it responds rather mechanically. I ask the glasses to suggest a New York-themed playlist as I set off into the park. It picks nine songs though it doesn't yet connect to Spotify, so I have to add them manually. I come across the Cherry Hill Fountain, a 19th-century watering trough for horses. 'Is that the fountain from the Friends' opening credits?' I ask. A common mistake, I'm told, the real one was just a prop on set in LA. The sun is hot and I'm tired. I ask my glasses – which can pair to my iPhone health app – how many steps I've done. Around 3,780 – only 110 calories. Still a way to go to burn off the bagel. My glasses then suggest I check out the Museum of Modern Art, around a 15-minute walk south. Jim asked the glasses for recommendations on where to eat as well as a historical walking tour 'Hey Meta, what am I looking at?' I ask. 'You're looking at The Battle Of Atlanta by Kara Walker', it confidently responds. I check the label. It's actually a piece by Faith Ringgold. Ah, we may have found a weakness. With a bit of help though – telling it what painting I'm looking at – it can still add depth. I recognise Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans. The 32 canvases represent each flavour in 1962, my glasses tell me, adding: 'Fun fact: he said he ate Campbell's soup every day for 20 years, which sparked the idea!' Exhausted, I head back to the hotel. As I lie on my bed, I get out my book and consider asking Judi if she can read it for me. But before I can get an answer, I've drifted off in the city that never sleeps. - Jim Norton wore £429 Meta AI glasses. Prices start from £224 at [ray-ban.com](http://ray-ban.com/).