Are Glasses the Next Smartphone? AI Glasses Commercialization Sparks Controversy Over 'Invisible Recording'

Difficult to Detect Recording Due to Glasses’ Ordinary Appearance

Concerns Over Data Leaks and Academic Cheating

Meta Responds to Controversy: "LED Lights Up During Recording"

Effectiveness in Question Amid Workarounds and Modifications

As Meta's artificial intelligence (AI) glasses are officially launched in Asian markets such as Japan and Korea, concerns are growing over privacy violations and illegal recording. The core of the controversy is that, due to their appearance being similar to regular glasses, it is difficult for people nearby to tell whether they are being recorded.

Meta's newly introduced Ray-Ban Meta allows users to capture photos or videos using voice commands, ask the AI about objects seen in front of them, or utilize translation features. Reuters Yonhap News

On June 1, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that "Ray-Ban Meta," jointly developed by Meta and EssilorLuxottica, is a wearable device with built-in cameras and speakers in the frame that has now begun full-scale commercialization, sparking various concerns.

AI Glasses Become Everyday Cameras... Concerns Over Illegal Recording

Meta's newly introduced Ray-Ban Meta allows users to capture photos or videos using voice commands, ask the AI about objects in front of them, or use the translation feature. The issue lies in the method of recording. While smartphones require a noticeable action of lifting the device, AI glasses can record exactly what the wearer is looking at. There is a risk of unauthorized recording in public places such as streets, cafes, or subways, and in meeting rooms or offices, there are fears that internal documents, monitor screens, or whiteboard content could be leaked to the outside.

Meta recently introduced Ray-Ban Meta, which allows users to capture photos or videos using voice commands, ask AI about objects in front of them, or use translation features. Photo shows Jennie wearing Ray-Ban Meta. Ray-Ban

The possibility of misuse in educational settings and in gaming or sports is also being raised. If AI glasses are combined with earphones or lens-type displays, it could enable cheating by showing test questions or situations in games such as Go, Janggi, or chess to the AI in real time and receiving answers or strategies.

Meta has implemented measures to prevent privacy violations, such as ensuring that the LED indicator on the front of the glasses lights up during recording. If the LED is covered, the camera function is designed to be restricted. However, reports have emerged overseas of users bypassing these safeguards by covering or removing the indicator light, raising ongoing questions about the effectiveness of these safety measures.

Potential for Identity Tracking if Combined with Facial Recognition

The biggest controversy is the potential combination with facial recognition features. Currently, Ray-Ban Meta does not officially include facial recognition functionality. However, if a face captured by the AI glasses is compared with external facial search services or publicly available online information, it is possible to track personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and family relations.

Indeed, in the United States in 2024, college students conducted and publicized an experiment demonstrating that it was possible to confirm others' personal information by combining Ray-Ban Meta with a facial search system and public databases. Civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have demanded that Meta halt the introduction of facial recognition features in its AI glasses, warning that this would cross a line that should not be crossed.

Competition in the AI glasses market is expected to intensify further. Google is also preparing to launch a glasses-type AI device and is working with Samsung and Qualcomm to build an extended reality (XR) based wearable ecosystem. The photo shows a visitor experiencing AI glasses at the Macau Expo in China. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.

Competition in the AI glasses market is expected to intensify further. Google is also preparing to launch AI glasses-type devices and is working with Samsung and Qualcomm to build an extended reality (XR)-based wearable ecosystem. However, as AI glasses are highly likely to become the next-generation personal device after smartphones, there are concerns that relying solely on voluntary corporate regulation has its limitations. As a result, calls are growing to establish clear usage standards. In particular, there is increasing demand to adopt a universal industry standard for indicating when recording is taking place and to clarify usage guidelines in sensitive spaces such as schools, companies, and hospitals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.