Lorde declares AI glasses "not sexy"—amid mounting privacy backlash

Pop star Lorde delivered a blunt public takedown of AI-enabled smart glasses during a recent performance at Madrid's Mad Cool Festival, voicing skepticism about technology that has increasingly come under fire from privacy advocates and regulators alike.

The On-Stage Verdict#

At the festival last week, Lorde didn't mince words when addressing the crowd about the new wearables. Describing the growing difficulty in distinguishing reality from fiction in a world saturated with surveillance tools, she told the audience: "Don't get the glasses. Not sexy." The comments appeared particularly pointed given that Ray-Ban, a festival sponsor, manufactures the Meta-branded glasses in question.

Privacy Concerns Drive the Backlash#

Smart glasses equipped with built-in cameras and AI capabilities have attracted serious scrutiny from security experts, who have flagged them as privacy risks. The devices have reportedly been weaponized for harassment and extortion, according to researchers tracking their misuse.

Beyond street-level concerns, Meta faces a growing number of legal challenges:

• Investigations into potential privacy violations across multiple jurisdictions
• Lawsuits alleging false advertising and consumer deception
• A particularly damning claim that Kenyan contract workers were forced to review explicit material captured by the glasses to train Meta's AI models

Meta has maintained that it prioritizes privacy through design features like a visible recording light, yet the ongoing investigations and litigation suggest trust remains fractured.

Sales Soar Despite Controversy#

The privacy firestorm hasn't dampened consumer appetite. Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica reported selling over 7 million Meta AI glasses in 2025—more than tripling combined sales from 2023 and 2024. Buoyed by the segment's commercial success, Meta has begun rolling out additional models under its own branding, betting that lower price points will expand the market further.

Lorde's aesthetic critique—that the devices simply lack style—may ultimately prove more persuasive than privacy warnings alone.