Google Executives Trace That AR Glasses Are Poised for a Comeback

Google Glass, the augmented-reality headset that flopped with shoppers a decade in the past, is poised for a revival, because of synthetic intelligence. 

Alphabet Inc.’s Google has struggled for years to get AR spectacles to work. After the preliminary headset was phased out in 2015, the corporate bought enterprise variations for companies, however these too have been discontinued final yr.

The executives are signaling that new AI options may set the stage for AR glasses to return. On the firm’s annual developer convention in Mountain View, California, one among Google’s buzziest bulletins was Venture Astra, an AI agent that may use a smartphone digital camera to “see” the world round it and reply questions in regards to the surroundings. 

• Additionally learn: Controversy grows over Google’s Glass venture

A video demonstration throughout the morning keynote included a pair of glasses that appeared to have a digital camera and a few sort of visible interface. Throughout interviews with Google DeepMind Chief Govt Officer Demis Hassabis and Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the executives confirmed that the corporate is experimenting with the thought of creating glasses for Venture Astra.

“Clearly, it really works amazingly on the telephones,” stated Hassabis, who oversees AI analysis at Google. “However the entire valley’s debating this, there most likely must be different kind components as nicely, when these programs are totally developed. It appears to me like Glass is an apparent one.”

Brin referred to as Venture Astra a “killer app” for an AI-powered glasses effort, including that Google was 10 years too early for the sport. “It’s humorous as a result of it’s, like, the right {hardware},” he stated, whereas stopping wanting confirming that Google was actively engaged on glasses.

“Arms-free is the thought,” Brin stated. “Plenty of belongings you need commentary on: You’re cooking or performing some sport, otherwise you need this factor that can assist you. It’s awkward to do it along with your arms additionally holding your telephone.”

He pointed to different synthetic intelligence firms’ efforts in making AI clips and related units as a part of makes an attempt to discover a much less obtrusive solution to work together with generative AI.

And even 10 years later, Brin thinks the shape issue of Google Glass was “fairly cool.” 

“Sadly, we kind of tousled on the timing,” he stated. “I kind of want I timed it a bit higher.”