Sam Altman Says Camera Glasses Could Shape OpenAI’s AI Hardware

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he finds it “very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light” and confirmed that he does not wear smart glasses himself. He made the comments on the Sources Podcast.

Altman is working with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on a family of AI devices, but OpenAI has not detailed the products. He has said the company is developing hardware for tables, pockets and “on your body,” and that launching the full range will take time.

His comments establish a boundary around camera-equipped glasses. A camera can make people wonder whether they are being recorded without consent, while the device’s design can make recording less noticeable than with a smartphone.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner has asked manufacturers to make recording indicators impossible to disable and to automatically blur faces when informed consent is absent. The regulator has also acknowledged that camera-based visual awareness can help blind and low-vision users.

The discussion leaves room for other wearable designs, including an audio-first earpiece, pendant or clip. Such devices could provide access to an AI assistant without placing a camera between people, although microphones would still raise privacy questions. The source presents a camera-free wearable as one possible direction for OpenAI’s work with Ive, not as a confirmed product.