Lorde Calls AI Glasses "Not Sexy

While celebrity endorsement, exemplified by Kylie Jenner’s promotion of Meta’s AI-powered glasses, garners significant attention, pop sensation Lorde has publicly expressed her strong dissent.

During her recent performance at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, Lorde articulated her pointed criticisms of the burgeoning technology, which numerous security experts have labeled a severe privacy risk.

“Increasingly in our world, it gets harder and harder to know what is real,” Lorde conveyed to her audience. “You don’t know if someone is wearing sunglasses, or if they’re wearing those f–ed up, f–ing [AI glasses]. Can I just say, for the record, f— the glasses. Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy.”

This outspoken stance on technology marks a significant step for Lorde, who has previously recounted throwing her phone into the ocean, indicating an escalating level of technological skepticism.

Lorde’s impromptu commentary on tech trends was perhaps influenced by the festival’s sponsorship by Ray-Ban, a brand that collaborates with Meta on its AI glasses. Furthermore, Lorde’s set immediately preceded that of singer Jennie, an official ambassador for the Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses line.

Her bold declaration, “Increasingly in our world it gets harder and harder to know what is real. You don’t know if someone is wearing sunglasses or if they’re wearing those fucked up fucking.… Can I just say, for the record, 'Fuck the Glasses'. Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy,” resonated widely following her Madrid performance.

Lorde is not alone in voicing concerns. Smart glasses, equipped with cameras and AI functionalities, have unfortunately been implicated in instances of harassment and extortion. Meta, a leading manufacturer of smart glasses, asserts its commitment to privacy, integrating safeguards such as a visible recording light. However, the company currently faces multiple investigations and lawsuits alleging privacy violations, including one claim that Kenyan contract workers were compelled to review graphic videos, obtained via the glasses, to train Meta’s AI. Meta has not yet publicly addressed this specific allegation.

Despite these controversies and legal challenges, the product has achieved robust sales figures. Ray-Ban Meta glasses have emerged as a notable success within the smart-glasses market, prompting Meta to continually expand its product range.

Ultimately, if privacy concerns fail to deter consumers from acquiring these glasses, perhaps an appeal to aesthetics will. Lorde succinctly encapsulates this sentiment with her declaration that they are simply “not sexy.” In contrast, she emphasized, the present moment, the “here and now,” is what truly possesses allure.