Sam Altman has a message for Meta: I don't like smart glasses
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly expressed his discomfort with smart glasses, specifically criticizing the presence of cameras on wearable devices. Despite his skepticism, Meta continues to see significant growth in its AI-enabled eyewear business, which is helping to offset declining demand for its VR headsets.
Why it matters
This highlights a strategic divide in the future of consumer hardware between two of the most influential AI companies in the world.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made clear his discomfort with smart eyewear, a product category dominated by Meta. According to a report by Business Insider, speaking on the Sources Podcast, Altman said, “I find it very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light”. Altman’s dislike isn’t new. At last year’s Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, when asked if his sunglasses were smart glasses, he quickly replied: “Absolutely not. I don’t like smart glasses.”The comments land squarely on Meta's turf. Meta, which also develops its own competing frontier AI models, has become one of the biggest players in the smart glasses category through its partnership with Ray-Ban.
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