Privacy fears could slow the adoption of AI devices — Cyprus Mail
In Cyprus, Cyprus Mail reports that companies developing artificial intelligence devices as a possible alternative to smartphones are facing privacy concerns. Such concerns could slow the adoption of the new technology. Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which can see, hear and respond to the surrounding world, have drawn the most criticism.
In the United Kingdom, several establishments, including the Wetherspoon pub chain, have restricted the use of these glasses. The devices have also drawn the attention of courts hearing privacy lawsuits. Critics warn that the widespread use of AI glasses could weaken expectations of anonymity and consent to recording.
Lawsuit against Meta and Luxottica
Ryan Clarkson's law firm represents consumers in a lawsuit against Meta and Luxottica of America. The plaintiffs claim that the companies misled users about privacy protections in the smart glasses.
According to the plaintiffs, after recordings from the glasses were uploaded to Meta servers for AI training, they were reviewed and labeled by human annotators. According to the lawsuit, the materials could have included recordings of people changing clothes, in bathrooms, or working with financial information.
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Meta said that the recording indicator light cannot be turned off and that the camera is deactivated if the indicator is covered or damaged. The company disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit and intends to challenge them. Meta also said that reviewing user data to improve products is common practice in the industry and that identifying data are filtered out.
Alternative formats
Manufacturers are testing different device formats: glasses, AI pins, pendants and voice recorders that attach magnetically to smartphones. Samsung plans to enter the smart glasses market later this year in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, but does not view them as replacements for smartphones.
Startup Even Realities released the camera-free G1 glasses and unveiled the G2 model in November 2025. Pocket is developing a device for recording conversations that attaches to a phone and requires pressing a button. Plaud offers AI recorders that record only after activation and notify people nearby with a light or sound signal.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously said that an always-on device capable of understanding a user's surroundings would eventually require local data processing instead of continuously sending data to the cloud. In his view, users will not want a device that constantly listens and watches to operate through a cloud server.
