[E-Daily Reporter KIM JUNG YOU ] While expectations are rising that artificial intelligence (AI) devices will usher in a new era beyond smartphones, the adoption of new technologies appears to be stalling amid growing global concerns over privacy infringement. For example, new smart glasses models are being released without cameras, and workarounds—such as signaling to those nearby when recording—are emerging one after another.

According to Reuters on the 23rd, as backlash against privacy intrusions by AI devices has intensified recently, an increasing number of companies are introducing models without cameras. EVNNE, a Chinese startup founded by Will Wang—a former Apple engineer who worked on the “Apple Watch”—recently launched the “G1,” a camera-less smart glass, and its successor, the “G2.”

CEO Wang told Reuters, “Consumers have become increasingly likely to associate smart glasses with hidden cameras,” adding, “Cameras should be put on hold until robust safeguards are in place.” The company, which is valued at $1 billion, generates 90% of its revenue from consumer-facing (B2C) products.

Pocket, a San Francisco-based startup, has unveiled a smartphone-attachable voice recorder that only starts recording when a button is pressed. The strategy is to alleviate privacy concerns by “clearly” indicating when recording is taking place, similar to a smartphone camera. Approximately 170,000 units of the company’s product are currently in use, including by corporate clients such as DoorDash and Michelin.

Plaud, which sells AI recorders, has also introduced a system that only records when a button is pressed and alerts those nearby via LED lights or voice prompts. This is also for the sake of privacy protection. Meta is also reportedly set to unveil a new model of camera-less smart glasses at its upcoming annual developer conference, “Connect.”

Recent backlash against privacy invasions by such AI devices was sparked by Meta’s smart glasses. Developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban, this product was the model that led the way in popularizing smart glasses. However, it became mired in controversy as lawsuits over privacy violations caused by the smart glasses’ built-in cameras and fears of covert filming surfaced. Some local establishments, such as the major British pub chain Wetherspoon, have even gone so far as to restrict the wearing and use of these products indoors.

There is speculation that these privacy controversies will determine the future of the AI device market for technology companies. This is because if companies fail to gain the public’s trust, the very strengths of AI devices—such as always-on cameras, microphones, and environmental awareness capabilities—could become the biggest obstacles to market adoption.

Kim Jeong-hyun, vice president of the MX Business Division at SamsungElectronics(005930), stated in an interview with Reuters last July, “The form factor that ultimately prevails will be a product that builds trust by making interactions with users more natural and useful,” adding, “As AI takes on more tasks, users will demand systems that maintain security and allow them to exercise direct control.”

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, also recently shared his vision for devices that know when to assist users and when to remain silent in an interview with the press. He remarked, “Rather than continuously transmitting data to the cloud, data should be processed on-device.”

CEO Altman added, “Not many people would want a device that listens to and observes every aspect of their daily lives to operate via a cloud server,” and emphasized, “We need devices that are trustworthy and accurately understand context.”

Experts point out that the key challenge is that AI devices become more useful the more information they collect from their surroundings. This is because the collected information may include images or voices of third parties who did not consent to being recorded.

In an interview with Reuters, Jitesh Ubrani, a director at market research firm IDC, analyzed, “The privacy concerns raised by new AI devices are similar to those that arose when cameras and microphones first became mainstream in smartphones,” adding, “What the public wants is not to oppose recording or filming itself, but to be guaranteed the right to be aware of and consent to being recorded.”