Sam Altman Says He Finds Smart Glasses 'Very Uncomfortable' - Business Insider

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seen in sunglasses — definitely not smart glasses. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images 2026-09-01T19:34:19.951Z Read in app Save Saved Listen to this story This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in . Mark Zuckerberg doesn't have to worry about Sam Altman coming for his glasses. "I find it very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light," the OpenAI CEO told tech journalist Alex Heath during an interview for Heath's "Sources Podcast," which was published on Tuesday. Altman's feelings are becoming quite clear. When reporters asked him on the sidelines of last year's Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference if the sunglasses he was sporting were smart glasses, he was quick to set the record straight. "Absolutely not," he said. "I don't like smart glasses." Meta, which has its own competing frontier AI models, is one of the biggest players in the smart glasses space and partners with Ray-Ban to make the devices. EssilorLuxottica, which owns Ray-Ban, said it sold more than 7 million pairs of AI glasses last year. Not everyone is enjoying looking through, or rather into, the glasses. Meta has recently mounted a PR blitz after some venues announced plans to ban patrons from wearing smart eyewear. Instagram has also pledged to crack down on users who use smart glasses to secretly film harassing content, often in the form of prank or pick-up line reaction videos. Business Insider reporter Katie Notopoulos has found the social network still has work to do in this area. The segment remains big business for Meta . While the tech giant doesn't report how much it makes on glasses alone, it has repeatedly said in earnings statements that higher AI-glasses sales are offsetting slower sales of its Quest headsets. Explore BI Games Take a smarter break in your day - and see how far you get. Play now Want more Business Insider in your news feed? Add BI in Google so our reporting is easier to find when you’re searching for what matters. Add to Preferred Sources In July, Meta reported that Reality Labs, which includes its consumer hardware sales, generated $431 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2026, up $61 million year-over-year. As for OpenAI, Heath tried to get Altman to spill a few more details about the ChatGPT maker's highly anticipated AI-enabled devices that it is developing alongside famed iPhone designer Jony Ive. "I think there's something that belongs on a table," Altman said, "there's something that belongs in your pocket, and there's something that belongs on your body, and it'll take us some time to launch all of those things."