When AI Becomes Invisible, How Will We Know?

Around 2017, I wore Google Glass at a business event in London.

Several people politely approached me and asked if I could remove it.

Their concern wasn't about me.

It was about privacy.

They didn't know whether the glasses were recording.

At the time, Google Glass was unusual.

Today, AI is evolving much faster.

• Smart glasses.

• Smart watches.

• Wireless earbuds.

• Hearing aids.

• Cochlear implant systems.

• Smart rings.

• Wearable clips.

• Connected medical devices.

  
  

Many of these technologies can improve accessibility, especially for Deaf people. Live captions, speech recognition and AI assistance have the potential to remove communication barriers that have existed for generations.

That is something worth celebrating.

But there is another side to the conversation.

As AI becomes smaller and less visible, how will people know when it is being used?

The question is no longer just "What can AI do?"

The question is "How do we live alongside AI?"

Perhaps we need to start asking different questions.

• Should wearable AI be easy to recognise?

• How do we balance accessibility with privacy?

• Who owns the information collected by AI-enabled devices?

• Who can access that information?

• How long is it kept?

• What happens if a device is hacked?

• How do we protect both accessibility and personal privacy?

• Will workplaces, schools and public services need new policies for AI wearables?

These are not questions about stopping innovation.

They are questions about preparing for it.

As a Deaf person, I welcome technology that improves communication.

I also believe that trust must grow at the same pace as innovation.

Technology works best when people understand it, trust it and feel confident using it.

That confidence comes from transparency, clear policies and responsible design, not from asking people to simply accept whatever comes next.

Around a decade ago, Google Glass started conversations about privacy.

The next generation of AI wearables will start much bigger conversations.

We should have those conversations now, before the technology becomes invisible.

Because the future of AI is not just about intelligence.

It is about trust.

And trust begins with openness.

What do you think? Are we ready for a world where AI is almost invisible?