Summary: I recently tested the Halo Glasses, an always-listening AI wearable designed to boost memory and provide real-time information during conversations. While the concept is exciting, the experience was riddled with technical glitches, awkward interactions, and ethical dilemmas about privacy and consent. Ultimately, the glasses felt more like a distracting digital assistant—reminiscent of Microsoft’s Clippy—than a helpful companion. For now, I’ll stick to my trusty analog notes and the occasional honest question in conversation.
Introduction: The Promise of AI Glasses
Welcome to Optimizer, a weekly newsletter from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song, where we explore the latest in phones, smartwatches, apps, and gadgets that claim to change your life. This week, I dove into the world of AI glasses—wearables that promise to make you smarter by providing real-time information discreetly during conversations.
Testing the Halo Glasses: Expectations vs. Reality
Halo Glass is the brainchild of two former Harvard students who previously made headlines by modifying Ray-Ban Metas to identify strangers in real time. Their new product is an always-on AI companion embedded in smart glasses that listens, records, transcribes, and feeds you relevant answers during conversations. It’s a blend of concepts from startups like Cluely, which helps you “cheat on everything,” and Bee, an AI wearable acting as a second memory.
My colleague Sean Hollister and I were excited to test the Halo app running on Even Realities G1 Glasses, a promising smart glasses prototype. The idea was simple: use the glasses to enhance memory and understanding during conversations without interrupting the flow.
Ethical Concerns with Always-On AI Wearables
However, the always-listening feature raised immediate ethical questions. Sean lives in California, where recording conversations requires consent from all parties. Wearing these glasses without disclosure could be illegal. Additionally, Sean’s wife works in a confidential environment, so accidental recordings could jeopardize her job. Similarly, my spouse was uncomfortable with AI devices transcribing private moments. These concerns limited where and how we could test the glasses.
The User Experience: Troubleshooting and Awkward Interactions
Our testing began with a 20-minute troubleshooting session involving firmware updates and disconnections. To activate the display, users must tilt their heads back—a comically obvious gesture that felt awkward and unnatural. Despite adjusting the angle, the trigger remained distracting.
When AI Interrupts: Helpful Facts and Annoying Pop-Ups
During our video call, the AI occasionally provided useful definitions, like explaining “nits” or “doomerism.” But it also interrupted with irrelevant or redundant information. For example, it defined “ensconced” after I used it correctly and confused “Cluely” with the 1995 film “Clueless.” At one point, both of us received the same trivia about the history of mobile phones, creating a bizarre loop of AI factoids as we nodded our heads back and forth.
Reflections: Is AI Assistance Worth the Distraction?
While the concept of having a second memory is appealing, the Halo glasses often felt more like a nagging assistant—much like Microsoft’s infamous Clippy—interrupting our thoughts with trivia that wasn’t always helpful. The constant need to look up to see notifications and the fear of privacy breaches made the experience more distracting than empowering.
Conclusion: Embracing Imperfection Over AI Intrusion
For now, I’ll stick with my analog Post-its and to-do lists. I’d rather ask, “I’m sorry, what does that mean?” than bob my head awkwardly to summon AI assistance. While AI glasses hold promise, they’re not yet ready to seamlessly integrate into our conversations without ethical and practical challenges.
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