At the recent Meta Connect, Meta unveiled what they claim as “the most advanced glasses in the world” — the Ray-Ban smart glasses! However, there’s a still big question: will Meta use the images captured with these smart glasses for AI training? The excitement around these innovative shades comes with some uncertainty.
Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses come with a discreet front camera, letting users snap photos on demand or automatically capture moments with voice commands like “look.” This means they can take thousands of pictures or more effortlessly!
When TechCrunch asked Meta about plans to train AI models using images from Ray-Ban Meta users, the company didn’t provide a clear answer. Senior director of AI wearables Anuj Kumar and spokesperson Mimi Huggins simply stated, “We are not discussing it,” adding that it’s “not something we share externally.
The impact of this advanced technology by Meta is significant, raising serious concerns. These glasses collect a vast amount of user data, prompting the question: do we have to choose between embracing advancements and protecting our privacy?
Considering this emerging threat also raises questions about Meta’s Llama 3.2 model, which can process both text and images. Will the data be fine-grained or protected?
The Ray-Ban Smart Glasses are composed of thousands of user images based on their purpose. Meta users may not even realize they’re capturing.
For instance, if you ask the smart glasses to record your surroundings while you’re at a café, the glasses could be snapping countless photos of your table, the people around you, and the interior of the café, all while sending them to an AI model in the cloud.
What happens to those photos afterward? Meta isn’t providing any answers.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses feel like wearing a spy camera that captures every moment and person around us. Remember the controversy surrounding Google Glass, which never quite gained popularity?
Companies launching products like these should reassure users by stating, “All photos and videos taken by your facial camera are completely private and for your personal use only.” Unfortunately, Meta hasn’t done that.
Recently, Meta shared that they would use data from public posts for AI training from U.S. users on Instagram and Facebook.
The Ray-Ban Smart Glasses data isn’t public at all but we can’t ignore Meta’s broad definition of “publicly available data.” This definition raises serious concerns about user privacy.
While we can’t confirm whether Meta is using images captured by the Ray-Ban Meta camera to train AI models, the company hasn’t explicitly denied it either. Although we can’t definitively say that Ray-Ban Smart Glasses data will be used for training, Meta has yet to provide a clear statement on the matter.
We are seeking a clear statement from Meta regarding user privacy. Stay connected to find out what Meta has to say!
