Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening as you go about your day — but Apple may be risking a Meta Glasses-style backlash

Apple's latest Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 have unveiled a novel feature called Siri Recaps, an audio intelligence function that turns the Apple Watch into an always-listening device. The feature harnesses the Apple Watch's sensors to summarize a day's events, encompassing conversations that have taken place. Toggling the feature is possible via a schedule or at the top of the Smart Stack.

Similar to Amazon's Echo, the Siri Recaps feature relies on the Apple Watch's sensors to process events as they occur, utilizing Siri AI to transcribe raw data into functional notes without storing any data in permanent storage.

While the feature holds potential benefits for individuals requiring constant updates on their meetings, privacy concerns are understandable. Apple's presentation acknowledges the feature doesn't record or store audio but processes events live, converting them into actionable notes using Siri AI. Nevertheless, the implementation of this always-listening assistant, capturing conversations with individuals unaware they're being recorded, raises concerns.

Adding to the discussion, Apple's new Audio Intelligence feature, Live Rewind, can generate a transcript of the last 15 seconds of audio on the watch face, regardless of the presence of a wake word. The feature's unveiling comes amid bans and backlash faced by AI-powered surveillance wearables, such as Meta's smart glasses, which have been banned in some public spaces and met with derogatory names like "pervert glasses."

Despite Apple's assurance of trustworthiness through on-device AI, Private Cloud Compute, and guaranteeing that no audio or transcripts are recorded or stored, the Siri Recaps and Live Rewind features might evoke discomfort among users. While these features possess accessibility potential for those who are hard of hearing, they could generate a similar backlash faced by Meta Glasses wearers due to heightened concerns over being surreptitiously recorded without explicit consent.