HTC’s VIVE Eagle AI specs take a novel approach to privacy

Meta might be known as the current king of the smart glasses world, but ongoing privacy concerns, combined with a closed ecosystem, mar the company’s attempt to make the form factor mainstream. HTC, on the other hand, which has just launched the VIVE Eagle AI glasses in Australia, wants to nip privacy fears in the bud.

Known for its VR headsets, HTC designed the VIVE Eagle AI specs to encourage people to spend less time glued to their phones. Capable of translating languages and snapping photos via a built-in 12MP camera, the specs also connect to the user’s choice of AI platform.

HTC gives more power to the public

HTC’s approach to privacy follows similar attempts to other brands, with a bit of a twist. Like other specs, the VIVE Eagle has an LED light that flicks on when the camera is in use. This LED’s brightness adjusts based on ambient lighting to try to make it clearly visible at all times. If someone covers the LED, or if the glasses aren’t being worn, the camera is disabled.

Perhaps the biggest privacy feature is that non-wearers can stop recordings, not just the user. According to HTC, if the wearer is recording video and someone says “stop filming”, the recording stops.

While it doesn’t necessarily stop someone from starting a recording in the first place, it at least gives people on the other side of the lens slightly more control. However, it does raise further questions. Will HTC embark on an education campaign to let the public know they can use a phrase to stop recordings? Why should the onus be on the public instead of smart glasses wearers?

It’s far from an open-and-shut case, but at least a tech company is trying something different.

Choice of AI

Another criticism of Meta’s smart glasses is the reliance on Meta AI. If you want to use the company’s glasses, you’re stuck with Meta’s AI technology. Conversely, HTC lets users choose their AI agent of choice.

Via the VIVE Connect app, there’s the option of using Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. On top of that, the VIVE Eagle can process speech and text language translations via its own AI technology. This requires a paid plan, however, which starts at $4.99 per month (a 24-month VIVE AI Plus plan is included with the glasses).

Now available to pre-order, the HTC VIVE Eagle AI glasses cost $799 in Australia. They launch on 14 September, with Harvey Norman the first local retailer to stock the specs.

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