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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg buys Irish castle estate  

Meta CEO

DUBLIN, Ireland: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has purchased a 19th-century castle in Ireland along with about 440 acres of surrounding land, according to reports.

Zuckerberg reportedly paid between $23 million and $35 million for Strancally Castle and its estate, with the property’s reported value reaching more than 9.7 billion Pakistani rupees at the higher estimate.

A company spokesperson said Zuckerberg and his family planned to maintain the historic property and spend time in Ireland, where Meta operates its international headquarters.

Located along a river and surrounded by extensive greenery, the castle reportedly features at least 11 bedrooms, four tower rooms, a library, dining room and drawing room, according to a 2001 media report.

Zuckerberg bought the property from an investor who had lived there with his family for about 25 years.

Meta’s international headquarters is in Dublin, and the company opened a data center there in 2017. The facility is reportedly about 20 minutes from Zuckerberg’s newly acquired estate.

The purchase is not Zuckerberg’s first major property acquisition this year. He previously bought a home in Miami reportedly valued at $170 million.

Meta CEO predicts AI-powered smart glasses as future

Meta CEO predicts

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called AI-powered smart glasses the next big innovation, likening their potential impact to the advent of smartphones.

Speaking during Meta’s quarterly earnings report, Zuckerberg said the company is accelerating the development of AI wearable devices and AI models.

He highlighted that billions of people worldwide rely on glasses or contact lenses, and AI-enabled smart glasses could soon become a daily necessity.

Zuckerberg explained, “When flip phones were replaced by smartphones, it became unimaginable to go back. Similarly, in the coming years, it will be hard to imagine most people not using AI glasses.” He noted that Meta’s smart glasses sales tripled in 2025, signaling growing consumer interest.

This is not the first time Zuckerberg has expressed bold predictions about emerging tech. Previously, he envisioned people working and socializing in the metaverse, a scenario that has not yet materialized.

However, current investments and development efforts by companies suggest that AI glasses could become widely popular in the coming years—though whether they will match the popularity of smartphones remains uncertain.

Other tech giants are also entering the market: Google is expected to launch smart glasses in 2026, while Apple plans to introduce its own models within the next one to two years.

Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, is forming a subsidiary focused on AR glasses, and even AI-focused firm OpenAI is exploring wearable devices such as AI earbuds and AI pens.

Currently, Meta leads the smart glasses market, offering several models already available to consumers. The coming years could see a surge in AI-enabled wearables as companies race to redefine how we see and interact with the digital world.

TIME Magazine announces 2025 person of the year

TIME Magazine

KARACHI: As the year draws to a close, TIME Magazine has announced its Person(s) of the Year 2025, honoring individuals who have made significant societal impacts through the imagination, design, and development of artificial intelligence (AI).

TIME has released two cover images for 2025. One highlights the pervasive influence of AI, while the other features tech leaders Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis, Dario Amodei, and Fei-Fei Li.

In a letter to readers, Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs stated that selecting the Person of the Year is a powerful way to focus global attention on those shaping our lives — and this year, no one’s influence surpassed that of AI architects.

He added that 2025 was the year when AI’s full potential became visible, providing answers to nearly every question and redefining the possibilities across industries.