At her Mad Cool Festival set in Madrid in July 2026, New Zealand singer Lorde publicly criticized AI-enabled smart glasses that combine cameras with on-device artificial intelligence — a product category developed and sold in partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban.
Speaking to the crowd, Lorde said: "Increasingly in our world, it gets harder and harder to know what is real. You don’t know if someone is wearing sunglasses, or if they’re wearing those f—ed up, f—ing [AI glasses]. Can I just say, for the record, ‘Fuck the Glasses’. Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy." Clips and posts quoting the line circulated on social media; one tweet with the quote was posted on July 10, 2026.
Her comments came amid a context that likely informed them: Ray-Ban was a sponsor of the festival and is a commercial partner with Meta for the smart-glasses product. Lorde performed directly before Jennie, who serves as an ambassador for the Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses line.
Why this matters
- Privacy concerns: security experts have repeatedly warned that smart glasses with cameras and AI features can create serious privacy risks. Reported misuse includes instances of harassment and extortion facilitated by surreptitious recording.
- Legal scrutiny and allegations: Meta says it builds privacy safeguards into the devices — for example, a visible recording light — but the company faces multiple investigations and lawsuits alleging privacy violations. One lawsuit claims Kenyan contract workers were required to view graphic videos captured with the glasses to help train Meta’s AI; Meta has not publicly detailed a response to that specific claim.
- Strong sales despite controversy: the product has nevertheless sold well. EssilorLuxottica, the maker of Ray-Ban, reported selling more than 7 million Meta AI glasses in 2025, compared with roughly 2 million units combined in 2023 and 2024. The popularity of Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the smart-glasses segment has led Meta to expand the product lineup.
Lorde’s critique focused not only on privacy and ethics but also on cultural desirability: she suggested that, even if privacy worries don’t deter buyers, questions of style and vanity might. Her blunt dismissal — "not sexy" — frames the debate in cultural as well as technical and legal terms.
Conclusion
Lorde’s public rejection illustrates how artists’ commentary can shape public perception of consumer technologies. The success of Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses on the market continues alongside ongoing legal and ethical disputes, creating a mixed picture of commercial momentum and public controversy.
