Facebooks smart glasses ambitions are in the news again.
The company has launched a worldwide project dubbedEgo4Dto research new uses for smart glasses.
In September, Facebook unveiled itsRay-Ban Stories glasses, which have two cameras and three microphones built-in.
The glasses capture audio and video so wearers can record their experiences and interactions.
Augmented reality glasses can display useful information within the lenses, providing an electronically enhanced view of the world.
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Augmented reality glasses fundamentally disrupt or violate this sense of normalcy.
The public setting may be the same, but the sheer scale and approach of recording have changed.
Such deviations from the norm have long beenrecognized by researchersas a violation of privacy.
In the longer term, however, people might become accustomed to smart glasses as the new normal.
Smart glasses as a memory aid
An important program of smart glasses is as a memory aid.
Our research studied volunteers who wore lifelogging cameras for several days.
We uncovered several privacy concerns this time,for the camera wearer.
Popular media already has its take on what can go horribly wrong with such memory aids.
In such a world, it is difficult to just move on.
Its a lesson in the importance of forgetting.
Psychologists have pointed to theimportance of forgettingas a natural human coping mechanism to move past traumatic experiences.
Maybe AI algorithms can be put to good use identifying digital memories to delete.
Once detected, footage can be selectively deleted from a persons digital memories.
X-ray specs of the digital self?
However, smart glasses have the potential to do more than simply record video.
These applications raise important questions about privacy and security.
We studied the use of smart glasses by people with visual impairments.
Even if accurate, they felt it was improper to infer someones weight or age.
They also questioned whether it was ethical for such algorithms to guess someones gender or race.
As Facebook charges ahead with augmented reality, I believe its critical that the company address these concerns.
