Opinion: We’ll All Be Wearing Smart Glasses Soon, The Intellectual Look of the Future

The tech gurus are saying that our society’s posture is about to change: we will not be hunched over our phones all day, we will be wearing all the information we need in our brand-new and AI-powered smart glasses.

It’s hard to imagine a near future where we are not constantly taking selfies, walking to our destinations tracking Google Maps’ routes on a screen, or talking to our loved ones through that precious device we keep glued to our hands. But all the big tech companies assure it’s happening soon. And they are heavily investing in it.

Only in September, Snap launched its new AR glasses Spectacles, Samsung and Google announced a new partnership with Qualcomm to build new smart glasses, and Meta just introduced its latest augmented reality smart glasses called Orion. So, what’s happening?

Looking Up to the Future

Are we all going to be comfortable wearing smart glasses? Unfortunately, recent studies say we probably will have to as 1 in 3 children worldwide is nearsighted, but besides the medical needs, the recent devices seem to have fascinating features and benefits that could make us go for the intellectual look.

The new AI-powered glasses now include augmented reality options that can show us emails and messages while we wash the dishes, or take pictures while our hands are busy holding the car wheel or swinging a bat while playing baseball.

We can now control smart glasses by hand gestures—with the help of sensors in a bracelet— and even with our eyes as the new technologies can track eye movements.

From workout guidance at the gym to helping us correct our posture, these smart devices can act as powerful tools for a healthier or enhanced lifestyle, and even assist surgeons during operations and complex procedures. The possibilities seem unlimited.

Smart Glasses vs. Headsets And Smartphones

The times when it was all going mobile seem to be staying in the past, as well as the already futuristic virtual reality headsets. We saw how phones could take over infinite tasks that we used to be able to do only through our computers, and are now seeing a transition from virtual reality to augmented reality and a fascinating mix between both.

AR VR headsets have been evolving—in price and technology—for the past few years. However, despite the viral videos of people wearing them to go to the gym, to eat at restaurants, or around the city, many remain skeptical about whether or not it is ok wear these devices in public for safety reasons and for how they look—many users on social media have called it dorky and silly.

While the AR VR headsets can provide an immersive experience like no smartphone has been able to—no matter how absorbed we can get while looking at the screen—, they are still too flashy and that’s when the smart glasses gain points.

Smart glasses look like regular glasses, just a little bigger—for the moment—, and people are already used to seeing others wear glasses, so it looks more “natural.” These devices are more discrete and provide a “more present” experience as Mark Zuckerberg tried to emphasize during a recent interview with journalist Cleo Abram.

“The main value we are trying to add is this feeling of presence,” said Zuckerberg, while he also explained that the new models will be cheaper and lighter and will include more features than ever: holograms, eye tracking, cameras, microphones, speakers, batteries, and sensors to capture everything inside a simple structure.

Whether or not the “being more present” wearing these glasses is an illusion—many, including science, consider that multitasking is not as effective as people believe—what is certain is that the glasses are easier to wear compared to smartphones and do feel more familiar than headsets.

Is Now The Right Time?

The smart glasses idea is not new. It has been pitched before and it failed terribly. Google first announced Google Glass in 2012—yes, twelve years ago—and Dyson designed a prototype in 2001. What is different now?

A few of the reasons why these futuristic devices failed are still in the equation in our present, like privacy and ethical concerns. Something the big tech companies seem to be ignoring or at least not paying too much attention to. These discrete devices recording and observing everything so easily do raise a few red flags.

But there is, of course, our new favorite ingredient for all the new technologies: artificial intelligence. Not only AI as a more developed and advanced technology with new modern large language models but also as a more adopted technology.

OpenAI recently announced that they have over 200 million weekly users across the globe, so the use of ChatGPT is not only more common for more people, but it’s becoming an essential and day-to-day tool. On top of this, OpenAI also started to roll out the voice feature, so it won’t be too different talking to a phone, than talking to glasses. Right?

Another new difference is prices. While Google Glasses started at $1,500, accessible to a reduced amount of the population, the new devices developed by Snap or Meta have significantly reduced costs, making them more accessible to a larger audience.

However, the latest models are not even ready for sale yet, they have just been introduced and pitched to the world. Only time will tell if we are now ready to wear these devices, if our posture and health will improve, or if the challenges smart glasses have been facing for years are still there and we are not ready to adopt them yet.