Meta Set to Manufacture Quest 3S Next-Generation VR and AR headsets in Vietnam
Meta, the owner of Facebook, intends to produce virtual reality headsets in Vietnam beginning in 2025, the two sides announced following a meeting that also discussed censorship and artificial intelligence.
Meta’s global affairs president Nick Clegg disclosed the plans at a tech conference in Hanoi.
The AI giant stated on Tuesday that it will invest in AI innovation in the Asian country, as well as increase production of its latest mixed reality headsets by 2025.
This news has quickly sparked widespread interest, with the firm’s stock price rising by nearly 1% in recent days.
“We will, with our local partners, be manufacturing them here in Vietnam, and we estimate that this will create well over 1,000 new jobs,” Clegg said.
The government gathering in Meta highlights the country’s increasing transition to hardware as many businesses relocate their factories from China to this Southeast Asian country.
The fact that President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg met Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi only a few days after having a meeting with Communist Party leader To Lam in New York further underscores the social network’s interest in Vietnam.
In the upcoming months, the Californian startup plans to launch Business AI for Messenger and test the Meta AI virtual assistant in Vietnamese.
Vietnam is especially keen on expanding its capabilities in the lucrative chip business, as global supply chain disruptions and concerns about the United States’ reliance on China for vital resources drive investment there.
However, Meta did not specify the value of the anticipated investment or the present extent of its operations in the country. Vietnam is an important participant for the AI firm since millions of small businesses and consumers rely on the platform, Nick explained.
Nick Clegg stated, “Beginning 2025, Meta will expand manufacturing of its latest Mixed Reality device Quest 3S to Vietnam.”
We earlier reported that Meta has been fined €91 million ($101 million) for inadvertently keeping hundreds of millions of user passwords on its internal systems in plaintext rather than encrypted.
