Why AI Smart Glasses Need A Privacy-First Approach
TechRadar, Thursday, October 29th, 2026
HTC VIVE's Thomas Dexmier argues AI smart glasses must be designed privacy-first, with local data storage and recording safeguards.
In a TechRadar Pro opinion piece, Thomas Dexmier, VP of EMEA at HTC VIVE, says AI smart glasses are a fast-growing category, citing Omdia figures of 8.7 million units shipped in 2025, up 322 percent.
He describes uses such as interactive museum guides and real-time sign translation, but says privacy will decide their impact.
He calls for data stored locally by default and shared only when the user chooses, strong encryption, de-identified requests to third-party AI models and no use of user data for training.
To protect bystanders, recording LEDs should be mandatory and capture should stop if the LED is covered.