Warby Parker bets on Google AI glasses for growth, but privacy fears still loom
WRBY•Warby Parker will begin taking pre-orders Thursday for AI glasses developed with Google and Samsung, with features including a recording light and a ban on facial recognition. The company expects the glasses to add several percentage points to fourth-quarter revenue growth.
1. Glasses target privacy concerns
Warby Parker is entering the smart glasses market with Google and Samsung, using Google's Gemini assistant for features such as directions and language translation. Google says it will not use captured visuals to train its AI, and the glasses will prevent facial recognition of bystanders and display a light when recording video.
2. Market and growth plans
Pre-orders begin Thursday. Ray-Ban Meta glasses accounted for 81.3% of AI glasses shipments in the first half of the year, while global AI glasses shipments more than doubled year over year, Omdia data shows. Warby Parker executives expect the new wearable technology to add several percentage points to fourth-quarter revenue growth.
3. Privacy remains a concern
Privacy concerns have prompted restrictions or proposed limits on camera-equipped glasses in Britain, Norway and Australia. Google says it will redact faces from video before it is sent to Gemini, prevent tampering with the recording light and prohibit targeted advertising on the glasses.
