While the introduction of AI-enabled smart glasses has prompted widespread privacy concerns, a new report and survey from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan finds that AI-enabled smart glasses are beginning to move beyond an emerging technology category and into everyday use.
The research, which highlights reported impacts on productivity, accessibility, and broader consumer experiences among US adults, found that more than 4 in 10 U.S. online adults’ expressed interest in or already own smart glasses. In addition, one in six owners use smart glasses to help manage a disability, with features supporting vision, hearing, and cognitive needs.
"Smart glasses are often discussed as a future technology, but many owners are already reporting practical benefits,” explained Neil Barbour, industry analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Our findings suggest the category is beginning to evolve from another wearable device into a platform for contextual AI assistance, with applications spanning productivity, creativity, accessibility and everyday life.”
Other key findings include:
- The report shows that families adopt at nearly twice the general-population rate.
- 44% of smart glasses owners report greater productivity at work and at home, with hands-free access to information and communication cited as core benefits.
- More than a third of owners say smart glasses help them stay present in the moment, and nearly one in five reports spending less time looking at their phone.
