Apple Glasses are expected to be unveiled in the coming year, and a recent report said they would serve as “an all-day AI companion.” Though I was once skeptical of smart glasses, here’s why I think they might be exactly what I want.
Latest Apple Glasses report offers details on features
Earlier this week, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported on three AI wearables Apple is developing: smart glasses, a pendant, and camera-equipped AirPods.
The main focus of the article was on Apple Glasses. Per Gurman:
The goal is for the glasses to function as an all-day AI companion, capable of understanding what a user is seeing and doing in real time.
He gives several examples, such as:
- telling you the ingredients in a plate of food
- referencing real-world landmarks during navigation
- adding info from an event poster directly to a calendar
- guiding users to items on their grocery list
Essentially, the idea is that Apple Glasses will use built-in cameras to see everything you’re seeing, and offer convenient and intelligent assistance as needed.
This is similar to what visual intelligence can offer today, but expanded and available in a far more convenient form factor.
And to me, it all sounds very compelling.
Why Apple Glasses sound like the future
One thing that excites me about Apple Glasses is that it means I won’t need to pull out my iPhone as often when out and about. I can stay engaged with the world and ping Siri hands-free thanks to Glasses’ built-in microphones and speakers.
AI will also unlock new capabilities not possible with just an iPhone—or at least, not anywhere near as convenient with one.
Most of my former glasses skepticism centered around one big question: the social comfort issue.
Will enough people be comfortable wearing AI glasses in social settings that it starts to feel ‘normal’? I suspect this concern is the main reason Apple has a pendant in development too.
But AirPods were initially seen as unusual in social environments, and now they’re commonplace. If Apple designs fashionable glasses that don’t look like tech, I think that will help tremendously.
Apple also, of course, has to overcome its AI shortcomings. But that’s where the Google deal becomes so important. Apple can focus largely on its own expertise—building great products—while leaning on Google for help with AI.
Over the last couple years, I’ve seen how AI chatbots have become increasingly important and helpful in daily life. And I have no doubt a product like Apple Glasses will follow the same trend.
Smart glasses will seem odd at first. But I suspect that as more people start wearing them, and get used to the convenience of AI being omnipresent, it could prove hard to resist.
Having an AI companion that’s always at the ready, and can see what I see, sounds very much like the future.
Do you think AI smart glasses are the future, or just another innovation that won’t take off? Let us know in the comments.
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