Key facts
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated he is uncomfortable talking to people wearing smart glasses.
- Altman cited the camera and light on smart glasses as reasons for his discomfort.
- Meta is a significant player in the smart glasses market through its partnership with Ray-Ban.
- Meta sold over 7 million pairs of AI glasses last year.
- Meta's Reality Labs reported $431 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2026.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced his strong dislike for smart glasses, stating that the presence of a camera and a light makes him uncomfortable during conversations. Altman clarified that the sunglasses he was seen wearing were not smart devices. This personal stance comes as Meta, a competitor in the artificial intelligence space, continues to heavily invest in and promote its own smart glasses, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban. EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban, reported selling over 7 million pairs of these AI glasses last year. Despite the market presence, smart glasses have faced some backlash, with certain venues planning to ban them and Instagram working to prevent their use for secretly filming harassing content. Meta's Reality Labs division, which encompasses its consumer hardware including smart glasses, generated $431 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $61 million year-over-year, indicating the segment's financial significance for the tech giant. Meanwhile, Altman alluded to OpenAI's own upcoming AI-enabled devices, suggesting a focus on different form factors beyond wearable technology.