During a set at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid last week, pop star Lorde criticized Meta’s AI glasses, urging fans not to get them. "Increasingly in our world, it gets harder and harder to know what is real," Lorde told the 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." Lorde’s comments reflect growing unease over the technology, which many security experts have called a privacy nightmare. The singer’s remarks were made in the context of the festival, where Ray-Ban, a sponsor, partners with Meta to produce the AI glasses. Lorde also performed immediately before singer Jennie, who is an ambassador for Ray-Ban Meta’s smart glasses line. The singer’s blunt critique highlights the broader controversy surrounding the product.
Smart glasses, which come with cameras and AI features, have been used as tools for harassment and extortion. Meta, the most popular smart glasses maker, has said it takes privacy seriously and builds in safeguards like a visible recording light. However, the company is facing many investigations and lawsuits alleging privacy violations. One lawsuit alleges that Kenyan contract workers were made to watch graphic videos obtained with the glasses to help train Meta’s AI. (Meta hasn’t publicly detailed its response to that specific claim.) Despite these concerns, the product has had strong sales. EssilorLuxottica, the Ray-Ban maker, said it sold more than 7 million Meta AI glasses in 2025 — more than triple the roughly 2 million units it sold in 2023 and 2024 combined.
Lorde isn’t alone in raising concerns. Smart glasses, which come with cameras and AI features, have been used as tools for harassment and extortion. Meta, the most popular smart glasses maker, has said it takes privacy seriously and builds in safeguards like a visible recording light, but the company is facing many investigations and lawsuits alleging privacy violations. One lawsuit alleges that Kenyan contract workers were made to watch graphic videos obtained with the glasses to help train Meta’s AI. (Meta hasn’t publicly detailed its response to that specific claim.) None of this has stopped the product from having strong sales. EssilorLuxottica, the Ray-Ban maker, said it sold more than 7 million Meta AI glasses in 2025 — more than triple the roughly 2 million units it sold in 2023 and 2024 combined. Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been such a hit in the smart glasses category that an emboldened Meta keeps expanding the lineup. But, hey, if privacy doesn’t make people think twice about the glasses, maybe vanity will. Lorde nails it pretty concisely with her declaration that they’re simply "not sexy." The here and now, she added, now that "is sexy."
Source: techcrunch
