Lorde criticizes AI smart glasses during Madrid festival set

In short: Lorde used a break in her Madrid festival performance to criticize AI smart glasses, saying people cannot easily tell if someone is just wearing sunglasses or recording.

The details

Lorde spoke about “AI glasses” while performing at the Real Cool Festival in Madrid. Videos shared on social media show her telling the crowd it is getting harder to know what is real and what is not. She said you do not know whether someone is wearing normal sunglasses or “those” glasses, and she told people not to buy them.

She did not name a company. But the comments were widely seen as a swipe at Ray-Ban, a festival sponsor that has partnered with Meta on Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses. These are smart glasses, meaning they can do more than block the sun, including using built-in cameras and microphones.

The moment also comes as Meta faces renewed criticism over privacy. Some critics worry that smart glasses make it easier to record people without them noticing, like having a phone camera that is always pointed outward. The Verge notes that Meta is also reportedly planning “super sensing” glasses that would continuously record.

According to Stereogum, Lorde was followed on stage by Blackpink’s Jennie, who is a Ray-Ban Meta AI ambassador and has appeared in advertising for the product.

Source: The Verge AI