Altman explicitly stated in an interview that he dislikes smart glasses, finding it uncomfortable to interact with people wearing camera devices. This remark suggests that OpenAI is unlikely to enter the smart glasses market and compete with Meta in the near term. He also revealed that an AI device developed in collaboration with Jony Ive is currently in development, but its form factor may not be glasses—instead, it could encompass products designed for desktop, portable, and wearable scenarios. Meta’s smart glasses business is growing rapidly, with its Reality Labs division generating $431 million in revenue last quarter, an increase of $61 million year-over-year, partially offsetting the slowdown in Quest headset sales. Privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses have also drawn significant attention, with some venues planning to ban their use.

Author and source: AIBase

On Tuesday local time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Alex Heath on the podcast “Sources” that he dislikes smart glasses, bluntly saying it feels “very uncomfortable to talk to someone wearing a camera and lights.” This statement clearly signals to Mark Zuckerberg that he need not worry about OpenAI encroaching on Meta’s smart glasses business—at least for now.

Signs of this attitude were evident earlier, as Meta's eyewear business is growing rapidly.

In fact, Altman’s attitude toward smart glasses had already been evident. Last year, during the Allen Company’s Sun Valley Summit, when reporters asked him on the sidelines whether the sunglasses he was wearing were smart glasses, he quickly clarified: “Absolutely not—I don’t like smart glasses.”

Meta is one of the key players in the smart glasses market. Although the company does not separately disclose glasses revenue, it has repeatedly stated in its earnings reports that growing sales of AI glasses are offsetting the slowdown in Quest headset sales. In July this year, Meta reported that its Reality Labs segment, which includes consumer hardware sales, generated $431 million (approximately RMB 2.904 billion) in revenue for the second quarter of 2026, an increase of $61 million year-over-year.

Meanwhile, privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses are drawing widespread attention. After several venues announced plans to ban customers from wearing smart glasses, Meta recently launched a public relations campaign, and Instagram has pledged to combat users’ use of smart glasses for covert photography—but significant improvements are still needed.

Indicates that OpenAI's hardware is not in the form of glasses and will be rolled out in phases.

During the interview, Heath tried to get Altman to reveal more details about the AI device being developed by OpenAI in collaboration with the legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive. Altman said, “I think some things belong on the desk, some belong in your pocket, and some belong on your body—we’ll take some time to roll each of these out.”

OpenAI, in collaboration with Avi's LoveFrom studio, has internally codenamed the device "Sweet Pea," positioning it as an AI voice interaction device. Altman's remarks also suggest that the device may not take the form of smart glasses.