Sam Altman has a message for Meta: I don't like smart glasses
Sam Altman has publicly voiced his skepticism regarding smart eyewear, a sector where Meta is keenly investing substantial resources. Despite slower sales for its Quest headsets, Meta's AI-integrated glasses continue to thrive, significantly boosting earnings for their Reality Labs division recently. Meanwhile, OpenAI, in collaboration with Jony Ive, is conceptualizing its own AI devices. Altman…
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed his distaste for smart eyewear, a market sector led by Meta. According to Business Insider, Altman stated during an interview on the Sources Podcast, "I find it very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light." This sentiment is not new; at last year's Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, when asked if his sunglasses counted as smart glasses, Altman quickly denied it, saying, "Absolutely not. I don't like smart glasses."
Meta, with its partnership with Ray-Ban, has emerged as a major player in the smart glasses market. EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban's owner, reported selling over 7 million AI-enabled glasses last year, highlighting the category's mainstream appeal. Despite this growth, Altman remains skeptical of the format. In July, Meta's Reality Labs division, which includes consumer hardware sales like smart glasses, reported a $431 million revenue increase year-over-year, amounting to $431 million for Q2 2026.
The company believes that rising AI-glasses sales are compensating for slower demand for its Quest headsets.
However, despite Altman's objections, smart glasses continue to be a significant revenue stream for Meta. Though the company doesn't disclose specific glasses revenue, it has acknowledged that increased AI-glasses sales are helping offset declining Quest VR headset sales. In July, Meta revealed that Reality Labs, encompassing consumer hardware including glasses and Quest devices, generated $431 million in revenue during the second quarter of 2026, a $61 million increase from the same period the previous year.
While Altman is against smart glasses, he hinted at OpenAI's own hardware plans. Collaborating with iPhone designer Jony Ive, OpenAI is developing AI-enabled devices. Altman outlined a three-part vision: "I think there's something that belongs on a table, there's something that belongs in your pocket, and there's something that belongs on your body, and it'll take us some time to launch all of those things."
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
