‘I tried AI glasses that could be banned from Tube and found proper use for them’

I’ve tried to avoid using AI in every aspect of my life but the chance to try out the Oakley Meta AI glasses was too good an opportunity to pass up. After 30 minutes of running, I realised how useful these could be in real-world situations, writes MyLondon reporter Ayo

It feels like Artificial Intelligence is encroaching on every aspect of life. It’s a hard thing to get my head around. Its ability to decipher and solve problems that, for generations, were solved by people can now be done in seconds.

The drawbacks of our reliance on and boom in AI include its use in every aspect of life. Whether it’s planning a holiday, answering questions for me or putting together a shopping list, AI feels like it can do everything. I’ve always tried to avoid it as much as I can, largely as an act of defiance against it and its environmental drawbacks.

Meta glasses were banned from courts in England and Wales in August. There have been complaints from people that they are used to record people without their knowledge, with the glasses being dubbed ‘spy glasses’ due to the covert nature of recordings and the fact they look like normal glasses. There have been calls to ban the glasses on the Tube as campaigners fear their increasing use.

I got invited to run a 5k with a run club as Oakley Meta was announced the AI glasses partner of Arsenal Football Club. We were set to run the parade route the team took after lifting the Premier League trophy, and as a passionate Arsenal fan, this felt like it was made for me.

However, the Oakley Meta range doesn’t have that ability to be inconspicuous; they are hard to miss due to their ski-goggle-like appearance and a flashing light that beeps when you are recording.

It seems even I can waver, because I tried AI glasses for the first time and… they were great. As much as I wanted to be against AI and all its offerings, they truly blew my mind with how impressive the technology is.

Opening up the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses, I found they were pleasing to the eye. They look like ski goggles, and you might think they’re a bit too chunky, but I actually enjoyed how they looked. They sat well and were comfortable after wearing them for a couple of hours. I liked the reflective orange tint, and after a few selfies at different angles, I thought I managed to pull them off pretty well.

Onto the tech inside. The Meta AI is simply mind-blowing. You can ask Meta, ‘Hey Meta, explain what I am looking at.’ In theory, I hated the idea of this. Why can’t my eyes tell me what I’m seeing?

Did I feel like a bit of a numpty saying ‘Hey Meta’? Yes. Did I feel even more stupid when I had to repeat myself because my voice didn’t register? Yes again.

Also, how can a computer tell me what I am looking at in more detail than myself? But that is exactly what the glasses did.

It described the scene, the cars in front of me, the buildings around me, all within the space of a few seconds. I had to take the glasses off and stare at it intently, with shock, fear, and awe taking over me. As I ran through Islington, past the different stations, the Emirates and the old Highbury, Meta AI described what I was seeing, even including the foliage and cars on the road.

It was then I realised how useful that feature would be for someone who was visually impaired. Imagine being able to describe what is around you if you had peripheral vision loss and could only see directly in front of you. There were real-world implications that could aid someone who couldn’t fully see, so, on the one hand, I could see the benefits.

The glasses can record as you go, take pictures, play music through built-in speakers (eliminating the need for headphones), and even let you take phone calls, thanks to a built-in microphone. The camera quality ranges from 1080p to 3K, providing clear, crisp footage. Looking at the glasses, it is baffling how so much technology can fit into something so small.

In terms of covert recording, it would still be possible because they look like a pair of regular Oakley sunglasses. Again, that doesn’t help with the ‘spy glasses’ aspect.

If your aim is to use them for physical activity such as cycling, running or even going to the gym, I think they are amazing. I used them at the gym and recorded my content from my own perspective, which adds another layer to the filming process. It can show you your stats as you move along and update you on your pace.

I think using AI for mundane tasks, knowing what it costs the climate, is not something I champion. However, as I mentioned, the real-world applications of being able to explain what is around you would be life-changing for somebody who needs it.

There are times when your voice doesn’t register if you’re in loud surroundings, which gets annoying.

I definitely understand the fear of the glasses being used covertly in everyday surroundings and the safeguarding concerns.

Overall, the technology inside is mightily impressive. I found myself enjoying every bit of it, and as someone who hates running, it actually made me look forward to running more. That might be Oakley Meta’s biggest win for me: convincing me that I like running.

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