Two years after Bella Nowroozi spotted a blinking light on a companion's glasses during a date at the mall, the 24-year-old master's student told CNBC she was "honestly pretty shocked" and "scared to go on dates after that as openly as I did before." Her experience reflects a growing privacy backlash against AI wearables that threatens to stall the very momentum tech giants are trying to build.
Meta, Apple, Google and a host of contenders are betting that AI-enhanced glasses, rings, charms and pendants will become everyday fixtures. Last week Meta unveiled its Tamagotchi-like Muse Charm, a housing for its personal agent app that quickly topped Apple's iOS App Store free apps list. The company continues to release new iterations of its Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses at various price points. This week OpenAI launched a personal assistant called Dots and is working with iPhone designer Jony Ive on consumer devices, though its first offering is not a wearable, according to Bloomberg. Apple previewed devices in early September, including AI features on the Watch Series 12 that will listen to conversations.
The market appeared poised for a milestone with the expected debut of smart ring maker Oura. But on Tuesday the company delayed its initial public offering at the last minute, citing "uncertainty in the IPO market." Analysts expressed doubt about that explanation. "I really believe that there's something else that's causing them to pull out of the IPO, and I don't think it's the market," said Anshel Sag, a principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "Them jumping out of this IPO is kind of weird."
Branding problems have compounded the challenges. Meta's smart spectacles have been dubbed "pervert glasses" on social media because their discreet cameras can be used for harassment and other misbehavior. One social media user said a man took photos of her on a date without permission. Another said a buyer from Facebook Marketplace recorded her and her children without consent. Meta's own advertising campaign featuring Kylie Jenner filming her everyday life drew further criticism of the surveillance-like nature of the videos. Meta did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria said the resistance to camera-equipped glasses may be insurmountable. "It's done for at this moment," he said. "We're going to have to revisit this 10 years from now." He noted that when he first gave the spectacles to his twin teenage boys last year they were "super excited," but now they "wouldn't be caught dead in them." Last month Meta introduced a camera-free smart glasses option.
The debate over wearables unfolds as the policy debate over AI safety intensifies in Washington ahead of midterm elections in November. Critics argue that always-listening or always-recording devices are an extension of the perceived surveillance state, with sprawling data centers becoming a visual symbol of AI opposition. Flock Safety's license plate scanners are being vandalized and cities have ended contracts with the company.