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by Mike Elgan

Contributing Columnist

Inside the coming war over face cameras

opinion

Jun 12, 20267 mins

The tech industry is about to flood the market with AI glasses with cameras for multimodal AI. But the public is already turning against the idea. Who will win?

Credit: Thinkstock

Several trends are now converging that threaten to pit tech companies against the general public.

Miniaturization has finally enabled companies to build AI glasses that look and function like normal glasses, but with microphones and cameras. People are increasingly talking to AI, rather than typing. And multimodal input, especially video, is on the rise.

Put all of these trends together and you get a nascent industry pushing toward all-day, everyday AI glasses with cameras — and a worried public already pushing back at the idea.

Let&rsquo;s look at how we got here.

Meta started it with a surprise hit: its second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which later gained multimodal AI capability. Its Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses add one in-lens screen — but both versions of the glasses have cameras. (The company is working on a third generation that will probably ship next year.)

Google provides the AI and software platform through Android XR and Gemini, partnering with hardware makers to put its AI on other companies&rsquo; glasses. At Google I/O last month, Google unveiled frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker running Android XR with Gemini AI; they&rsquo;re scheduled to launch this fall. Google is working on two types of AI glasses, one with screens and one that is audio-focused. Both types have cameras, though.

Samsung is working to launch AI-powered smart glasses, too, code-named &ldquo;Jinju.&rdquo; The company offered up details at Google I/O alongside Google. The glasses feature a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus; run on Android XR with Gemini AI; are co-designed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker; and are slated to launch in July at the Samsung Unpacked event.

(As with Meta and Google, Samsung is working on AI glasses with and without screens, but both of its models have cameras.)

Tech giant Apple is also on the glasses train, based on reporting from anonymous insiders. Codenamed N50, the Apple glasses could have two cameras, one for pictures and videos, the other for multimodal AI input and hand-gesture control. (Apple is also working on a pendant and next-gen AirPods, both of which have cameras.)

There&rsquo;s Amazon, which is reportedly developing a new line of consumer AI glasses with a camera after its earlier, camera-less Echo Frames and Carrera Smart Glasses lines failed. (My guess is the problem was Alexa, not the lack of cameras.) Although its Echo Frames have been effectively discontinued — displayed as sold out online — the company is already testing AI glasses with cameras for enterprise use on hundreds of US-based Amazon drivers.

Amazon Smart Delivery Glasses<br>Amazon

Huawei in April launched its AI Glasses for the Chinese market — the lightweight glasses sport a dual-engine AI architecture and integration with its HarmonyOS ecosystem. It&rsquo;s joined there by Xiaomi&rsquo;s AI Smart Glasses, which are powered by the company&rsquo;s HyperOS ecosystem and have cameras for photos and videos and for for reading QR codes.

Beyond those well-known firms, other companies are making daily-wear AI glasses with cameras in them, including XREAL, Rokid, TCL, Solos, and Brilliant Labs.

A minority of other companies is focused on glasses without cameras, including Even Realities (G1 and G2); MIRA (MIRA glasses); Dymesty (Dymesty AI glasses); Lucyd (Lucyd Lyte); and Huawei (Eyewear 2).

Get the picture?

Clearly, by the end of the year, the market will be flooded with all manner of AI glasses designed for everywhere, everyday wear. They can use prescription lenses or serve as sunglasses — and most of them will have cameras built in for photos, videos and multimodal AI.

There&rsquo;s just one problem: The public hates AI glasses with cameras.

Return of the &lsquo;Glassholes&rsquo;?

As we learned from Google Glass, a lot of people feel uncomfortable with a camera pointed at them while they&rsquo;re talking to someone. And that backlash is back with the current generation of AI glasses.

Because Meta is the market...