Meta will use images and voice recordings from its Google Glass-style Ray Ban "smart glasses" to train AI

In today's installment, the AI boom is turning privacy into an anachronism that people born before 2000 cherish. Facebook parent company Meta confirmed to TechCrunch, that images taken by its new Ray Ban Smart Glasses and analyzed by Meta AI tools onboard, as well recordings of all voice commands you give to the glasses (unless opting out), will be utilized by the company to build its AI models.

When I first heard the phrase "Facebook Ray Ban," it brought to mind an old FB Messenger scam. You know, when your old college RA (or a friend of a roommate's friend) DMs you after three years to hawk 90% off glasses at a website that steals credit card numbers after their account was hacked. We're here, however, to discuss something more sinister. Meta's "then, as farce, once again" to Google Glass' farce. This is a collaboration with eyewear brand Ray Ban, to produce specs with a small camera in the frame. The glasses will be voice activated, and feature various functions powered by Meta’s proprietary AI models.

When TechCrunch asked the company how these images would stored and used, Meta responded with a CIA style "we cannot confirm or deny" which struck me as a little red flag. In a subsequent story, Meta confirmed that the company can store and train its AI model on any images analyzed using the "Meta AI tool" on the glasses. In locations where multimodal AI (currently US and Canada) is available, images and videos shared with Meta AI can be used to improve the technology per our privacy policy," explained an official for the company.

It may sound like the glasses are opt-in but their AI capabilities are one of their main selling points. You're basically strapping on a camera that can record everything you see. If you say the wrong thing, some of the footage you recorded could be owned by a mega-corporation with a demonstrated disregard for individual privacy.

Meta's privacy policy explains that Meta records the voice commands you give to your camera glasses and uses them to train AI models. TechCrunch points out that users can opt-out of this when creating a Meta AI account.

I'm resentful, but not because customers are willingly opting into this exciting new form surveillance at $300 per person, but rather because friends, family and people who pass by these tech pioneers will be unaware that they're taking part in Meta's grand experiment. We're already too comfortable with filming strangers, sharing them on social media and inventing ever more subtle ways to record people around us for fun and profit. Two Harvard students have jailbroken Meta's Ray Bans, and equipped them with a search tool that uses facial recognition technology to provide personal information about anyone who looks at the wearer.

Meta already trains its AI models based on all public Facebook posts and Instagram photos made by Americans. To opt out, you must justify your decision in front of the $1.5 trillion-dollar market cap corporation. If you want to opt out from having your likeness be used to train AI without your consent, via AI-empowered Ray Bans - I promise that mine doesn't have a built-in camera!