Warby Parker teams with Google to develop AI-enabled glasses
Warby Parker is combining its eyewear design talents with Google’s artificial intelligence capabilities to work on the next generation of smart glasses.
The eyewear brand is launching a partnership with Google to develop AI-powered glasses intended for all-day wear. The companies are working on the development of future smart glasses and intend to launch a series of products over time.
The first line of intelligent eyewear jointly developed by Warby Parker and Google, planned to launch after 2025, will incorporate multimodal AI with prescription and non-prescription lenses.
"Since our launch we’ve set out to transform the optical industry by leveraging pioneering technology to design better products and experiences — and over the past 15 years, we’ve done just that," said Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO Dave Gilboa. "Looking ahead, we believe multimodal AI is perfectly suited for glasses, enabling real-time context and intelligence to augment a wearer’s surroundings as they move through the world. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Google to bring together the best of AI and the best of eyewear."
The Warby Parker-Google smart glasses will be built on Google’s Android XR eyewear platform, which the tech giant has been developing for more than a decade. Equipped with a camera, microphones and speakers, Android XR glasses work in tandem with a user’s phone, giving them access to their apps.
An optional in-lens display privately provides information when the user needs it. Pairing these glasses with the Google Gemini generative AI chatbot means they see and hear what the user does, so they understand context, remember what's important to the user and can help the user throughout your day.
"Warby Parker's optical expertise, omnichannel approach, and history of leveraging technology to create beautifully designed products and exceptional customer experiences make them the perfect partner to co-create and launch this next generation of smart glasses on the Android XR platform," shared Shahram Izadi, GM and VP of XR at Google.
As part of this collaboration, Google has committed up to $75 million for Warby Parker’s product development and commercialization costs. In addition, Google has committed to investing up to $75 million in Warby Parker, at Warby Parker’s option and subject to reaching certain collaboration milestones.
Google is also partnering with Samsung and Gentle Monster to develop Android XR-based smart glasses and plans to work with additional brands like Kering Eyewear in the future.
Android XR-based smart glasses will compete with visual virtual reality interfaces like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest (formerly Oculus). They should have an advantage of functioning more like regular glasses than those two systems, which require a large set of goggles or a headset.
Android XR is emerging following the failure of the Google Glass connected eyewear device. Google ended all support for Google Glass in the consumer market in 2016 and discontinued it entirely in 2022.
[READ MORE: Report: Consumers say goodbye to Google Glass]
