I recently reviewed Even Realities G1 smart glasses (they are very cool) and the first thing I used them for in real life was to fool someone. I told the local bartender that I had an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and that I would answer the toughest movie question he could think of in exchange for a drink. After a quick consultation with Google, the dude came back with the question: “Who directed the 1922 film?” Doctor Caligari's office?”
I tilted my head thoughtfully and repeated the question, as if checking to see if I had heard it correctly. The AI agent silently did its job, and after about three seconds the answer was floating before my eyes, completely invisible to everyone around me.
Credit: Steven Johnson
“Robert Wiene?” — I asked, feigning uncertainty. Boom! Free drink. This isn't the hardest question, but I could answer literally anything: date The doctor will be disconnected was released, what day of the week it was or the weather that day is all short work.
Bartenders know to be wary of betting at the bar, so this one was watching me like a hawk to make sure I wasn't looking for an answer on my phone or something. He didn't seem to be aware of my glasses, and even if he had been, it wouldn't have mattered. Even upon close inspection, the G1 reveals no electronics: no USB port, no blinking lights, no visible controls.
The AI agent is activated by a light touch on the ear. Repeating a question prompts the AI to respond, which is displayed on a display invisible to everyone except the owner. You can do the same trick with Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses or smart glasses with just sound and artificial intelligence.
I don't like deceive peopleI ended up telling the bartender what I was up to and didn't take the drink, but it got me thinking about what more nefarious people than me could do (and are probably already doing) with AI smart glasses.
Just imagine what I did on a higher level: a team of hustlers in a bar, silently tapping their temples every time “which actor played…?” would ask never lose. The stakes are quite small, but they are not difficult to imagine. Hypothetically, a hacked pair of smart glasses could be programmed to read the cards in your poker hand and give you the probability of winning in real time, either through the display or by whispering in your ear. Hypothetically, they could make card counting in blackjack easy and undetectable. Hypothetically, the glasses could scan other players for “messages” that they are bluffing, or read microexpressions to constantly receive updated information about opponents.
Likewise, imagine you are attending a self-help meeting and a leader you have never met says, “I had a vision of you,” and begins to describe exactly what happened in your life. All it will require is glasses that recognize your face (presumably appearing on Meta Displays), connecting to a social media feed, which is then displayed in real time to the leader. Or you can go more subtle and come up with little “random discoveries,” such as mentioning a movie someone recently watched and expressing exactly what they thought. It will only take a few of these and perhaps some mystical twist to convince people that you are a divine being to whom they should definitely donate.
How to recognize tricky smart glasses
I could go on, but you get the idea. Luckily, there are some signs that someone is using the technology hidden in the glasses. The most important thing is a general understanding of the capabilities of this technology. If someone seems to know something they shouldn't, ask yourself if their glasses could be the source of their power. Here are a few more specific gifts.
Look for recognizable types of smart glasses
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The most popular display glasses, Meta Ray-Ban Displays, have a distinctive look, with a fairly prominent camera in one of the corners, a distinctive look and branding. But other types of smart glasses, like the Even Realities G1 mentioned above, are obscure enough that most won't recognize them, and are so “normal” that most people wouldn't pick them out of the lineup.
Find where the equipment is hidden
Most smart glasses are still quite bulky, so look for thick arms or frames that hide the wires. But again, this is only majority smart glasses; some are completely sleek, with discreet technology.
Look for a little shine
In most situations, the image in the display glasses is not visible to anyone except the wearer of the glasses, but light is still projected. In a dark room you can see a green glow, and even if it's not dark, the display windows are visible if the light hits them correctly, as you can see here:
Credit: Steven Johnson
But honestly, it's subtle and hard to notice.
Listen to the sounds
Older audio-only smart glasses can relay information to wearers, but open-air speakers mean some sound leaks into the atmosphere. You can definitely hear the smart glasses if you're in a quiet room and trying to do this. If it is loud, the use of operating glasses becomes problematic for the wearer.
Look for the source of control
Smart glasses need to be controlled somehow. Meta Display glasses are controlled using a bracelet. The AI agent of the G1 glasses is activated by pressing the frame behind the ear. Anyone who has been practicing for a few hours can make these movements look natural, but they are there if you know what to look for.
Strange movements and speech.
It doesn't require great stagecraft to operate these glasses discreetly, but it does require anything. Messages may include looking up to see the display, tapping on glasses, stilted speech while waiting for information to arrive, and a teleprompter-style conversation style. Make sure people repeat questions back. But understand, this is difficult to notice. When I was tricking my bartender, I thought the way I repeated the question was obvious, but my wife said I just looked a little weird, which fits the prodigy personality anyway.
Smart glasses are a powerful tool, just like a hammer or a calculator. Like any innocent tool, they can be used for nefarious purposes, so until manufacturers or regulators require obvious indicators like flashing lights or visible controls, we should protect ourselves by paying attention to these small signals and remaining skeptical when someone seems to know more than they reasonably should.
