Sergey Brin, the person maximum accountable for Google Glass, is out of retirement and again on the corporate he cofounded, serving to make AI occur. He’s additionally touting a brand new roughly “Glass” or, extra as it should be, Android XR good glasses whilst admitting to a couple giant Google Glass missteps.
Brin hastily took the level at Google I/O 2025 for a sitdown with Big Technology Podcast’s Alex Kantrowitz and DeepMind’s CEO Demis Hassabis on Tuesday. While the dialogue most commonly revolved round Gemini, Google’s generative AI platform, Kantrowitz requested Brin what he discovered from the Google Glass enjoy and the way he would possibly follow that to the fashionable Android XR Glasses challenge.
With bracing candor, Brin advised Kantrowitz, “I definitely feel like I made a lot of mistakes with Google Glass, I’ll be honest.”
It’s slightly an admission from Brin, who greater than a decade in the past was once Google Glass’ greatest champion and memorably hosted a release that includes wing-suit skydivers leaping from a aircraft whilst dressed in Google Glass. It was once a impressive second, however even there, Brin now sees a flaw and the way he would possibly keep away from a an identical misstep.
Talking about how a lot he neglected that massive release second, Brin grew to become his consideration to the brand new XR glasses’ personal release. “Maybe…we should probably polish the product this time, when it’s ready and available, and then we’ll do a really cool demo. So, that’s probably a smart move.”
Brin might see the blemishes and supreme failure of Google Glass, the primary wearable good glasses that assist you to use gestures, head tilts, or even blinks to take an image, however there was once a second between 2012 to 2014, when Google Glass was once all over the place.
I wore my pair to a manner display and CES, and on a lot of community TV displays. Brin was once noticed at the subway dressed in his. They have been, for a time, a cultural phenomenon, but in addition ridiculous, virtually as briefly spawing the meme “Glassholes“.
Would be cool if this man confirmed up once more at #GoogleIO. This is from a decade in the past (at a distinct tournament) when Sergey confirmed me find out how to take a selfie with Google Glass %.twitter.com/y0zlrMyR5cMay 14, 2024
Still, I favored Brin’s enthusiasm, and once I bumped into him greater than a decade in the past, whilst dressed in Google Glass, naturally, he graciously took the time to turn me how it’s essential to take a selfie with Google Glass (sure, it concerned casting off them out of your face).
Glass suffered early on from availability and pricing problems ($1,500 / £1,000, or round AU$2,000) and Brin issues to his naivete because the reason: “I just didn’t know anything about consumer electronics supply chains really, and how hard it would be to build that and have it be at a reasonable price point….This time, we have great partners that are helping us build this.”
The level this is that as an alternative of Google looking to determine any of this out, it now has firms like Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker, all mavens in development client merchandise, provide chains, and retail pricing, development the Android XR Glasses for them.
AI will make the transparent distinction
Google Glass light into ignominy, however Brin sees Google’s go back to good glasses in a contemporary mild, and it is most commonly on account of his new puppy challenge at Google: AI and Gemini.
Aside from the shape issue, which didn’t appear to be customary glasses, Google Glass would possibly were forward of its time. They have been “smart” with out truly having any true smarts of their very own.
“Now, in the AI World,” stated Brin, “the things these glasses can do to help you out without constantly distracting you, that capability is much higher.” And it probably makes interacting with Android XR Glasses a lot more herbal. It’s additionally why Google and its companions are placing Gemini on the heart of those Android XR wearables.
Finally, Hassabis, who’d been staring at the entire alternate, chimed in, “I think just like the common assistant is the killer app for good glasses, and I believe that is what’s gonna make it paintings.”
This all is smart; an impressive AI sitting resident to your face in a well-known shape issue that asks for not anything greater than voice instructions to do your bidding, however too can watch and act to your behalf. That’s the way forward for good glasses, and person who Google Glass aspired to however by no means accomplished.
Android XR Glasses will likely be Brin’s 2d good glasses act and, most likely, the only he will in the long run be perfect remembered for.
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