Wearable technology has evolved rapidly over the last decade. From basic fitness trackers to smartwatches that monitor our health and keep us connected, we’ve become used to technology that integrates seamlessly into our daily routines. Now, Meta has taken a significant step forward with its latest release: AI-powered smart glasses, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban.
These glasses look like a stylish pair of everyday frames, but they’re packed with sophisticated features. Equipped with cameras, speakers, microphones and Meta’s own AI assistant, the glasses allow users to livestream video, take photos, respond to messages, and ask questions about what they’re seeing in real time. For example, simply asking “Hey Meta, what am I looking at?” will prompt the glasses to provide a spoken description of the surroundings.
There’s clear potential here. For travellers, these glasses can offer real-time translations or information about landmarks. For people with visual impairments, they may offer greater independence and awareness of their environment. The combination of wearable convenience and AI intelligence could genuinely be transformative.
Privacy Under Threat?
However, as with many new technologies, innovation doesn’t come without concern. The key issue is privacy. Unlike phones or traditional cameras, these glasses can record discreetly. While there is a small light that turns on when recording, it’s subtle enough that people may not notice it at all particularly in busy public spaces or low-light environments.
This raises serious questions about consent. Many people could find themselves unknowingly recorded in shops, on public transport, or even at work. The integration of AI adds another layer of complexity. These glasses aren’t just capturing images or sound… they’re interpreting them.
What’s more, they are already capable of real-time identity recognition. That means the wearer could, in theory, identify individuals simply by looking at them. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario for some distant future. The technology is already in place, and while Meta might not actively promote facial recognition features at this stage, the capability exists and is only becoming more powerful.
A Tool Open to Abuse
This sort of technology, in the wrong hands, could easily be misused. Stalkers could use it to follow individuals without detection. Criminals might exploit it to gather sensitive information in crowded places. Even governments could potentially use such devices for quiet, widespread surveillance.
But it’s not just the act of recording that’s concerning. These glasses could also be trained to detect tone of voice, facial expressions, or body language, and use that data to assess someone’s mood, intentions, or social behaviour. In other words, they could be used not just to monitor people, but to interpret and judge them as well.
It’s a short step from observing someone to profiling them.
The Unanswered Questions
With all this in mind, we’re left with some difficult questions. Should individuals have the right to avoid being recorded by wearable AI in public spaces? Who controls the data collected by these devices? And what regulations, if any, should be in place to ensure this technology isn’t misused?
For now, there are far more questions than answers. Meta has taken steps to address privacy concerns, and regulators are beginning to pay closer attention, but the conversation is still in its early stages.
What’s clear is that this technology is no longer just a glimpse of the future. It’s here now, and it has the potential to reshape how we experience and are experienced by the world around us.
At Profectus Recruitment, we closely follow the impact of emerging technologies like AI and wearables, not just for the excitement they bring, but for the challenges they pose. If you’re hiring within the AI space and looking for talent that understands the opportunities and the risks, we’d be happy to have a conversation.