tech
I wore Meta’s smartglasses for a month
Content creators love the built-in camera; sceptics call them ‘pervert glasses’. Do we really need any more hi-tech wearables, even with a voice assistant that sounds like Judi Dench?
TL;DR
- Meta's smartglasses offer an AI assistant (voiced by Judi Dench) and a camera, aiming to be the future of computing.
- The author found the glasses heavy, intrusive, and the AI unreliable for tasks like translation and object identification.
- Privacy concerns are significant, with users potentially recording others without consent, leading to the glasses being nicknamed 'pervert glasses'.
- While potential exists for assistive technology, current functionality is limited.
- Experts question the market demand and Meta's vision, comparing the potential failure to Google Glass.
- The glasses encourage covert recording, raising ethical dilemmas about privacy and consent in public spaces.
- Despite a blinking LED, bystanders often do not notice the camera, facilitating nonconsensual filming.
- Meta states users are responsible for lawful and respectful use, but the technology blurs lines of harassment and privacy.
- The integration of such technology prompts discussions about how much digital integration society is ready for.