Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods must heed lessons of Meta Ray-Bans Pervert Glasses, warns Bloomberg’s Dave Lee

In an opinion column on Wednesday, Bloomberg News’ Dave Lee argues that Apple’s imminent AI-enhanced wearable (revealed through a leaked demo video embedded in an upcoming macOS update) represents a pivotal moment for the company, but one that carries significant risks if privacy is mishandled.

The 13-second video shows a man wearing AirPods holding up a book, with a voice-over promoting “Visual Intelligence”: “your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”

Here is your first look at AirPods with Cameras in action using Visual Intelligence. This video file came from macOS 26.7 RC pic.twitter.com/yo7RI4MCeu — Aaron (@aaronp613) August 18, 2026

Lee notes this confirms earlier Bloomberg News reporting and signals a possible launch as soon as Apple’s September iPhone event. Unlike routine iPhone upgrades, a wearable device with a camera marks a landmark shift: done right, it could give Apple an edge by letting ordinary users interact with AI in the physical world. Done poorly, it could backfire spectacularly.

Lee stresses that the details matter, especially how users define a “camera” and what the feature actually does. Drawing on the backlash against Meta’s smart glasses (widely derided as “pervert glasses” over privacy scandals, non-consensual recording, and related controversies), he warns Apple must learn those lessons.
‎
MacDailyNews Take: No other company is as well-positioned as Apple to succeed in wearables where privacy is prized.

‎
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple’s camera-equipped AirPods must heed lessons of Meta Ray-Bans Pervert Glasses, warns Bloomberg’s Dave Lee appeared first on MacDailyNews.