A new generation of AI-powered wearables is transforming body-worn devices into personal assistants, offering users greater convenience and hands-free access to everyday services. However, as these technologies become increasingly integrated into daily life, concerns are also growing over how much personal information they can access, including what users see, hear, and share, according to leading intelligence and productivity platform GlobalData.
GlobalData’s latest report, “AI is Moving Wearables from Personal Tracking to Personal Assistance, Raising the Stakes for Privacy,” explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the purpose of wearable technology while highlighting the emerging trade-offs involving convenience, accessibility, and personal privacy.
Amanda Mitchell, Senior Analyst at GlobalData’s Telecoms Practice, said: “AI is moving wearables beyond tracking and toward acting on a user’s behalf. Depending on the device or AI agent, these new wearables can book a flight, shop for groceries, dictate a thought, rewind part of a conversation, or get personalized coaching without reaching for a phone. New AI-capable wearables are launching almost weekly, from smart glasses and rings to clip-ons and watches, making personal assistance one of the most important new use cases for body-worn devices.”
The growing AI wearables market includes both established technology leaders and emerging players. Apple, Google, and Samsung are expanding AI-powered assistance across their ecosystems, including smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other connected devices. Meanwhile, Meta is extending its smart glasses strategy toward a broader personalized AI platform through Muse, its personal AI agent, while Oura and WHOOP continue to focus on delivering personalized health insights and guidance.
AI-first devices are also entering the market with more specialized everyday applications. One example is Amazon’s Bee, a wearable device that can be worn on the wrist or attached as a clip-on, designed to handle organizational tasks such as recording conversations and converting them into useful reminders. Rather than focusing on a single new category of wearable technology, the industry is witnessing a diverse range of devices competing to make AI assistance readily accessible throughout the day.
Mitchell continued: “That convenience raises a harder question about privacy. Smart glasses can record people who may not know they are being captured, while other devices can tap into microphones, health information, email, calendars, and conversations. Meta responded to consumer pressure by making the recording light on its smart glasses more tamper-resistant, but overall, the industry appears to be moving faster to launch new devices than to make them less invasive.”
As AI-powered wearables become more capable, privacy regulations and consumer protection measures are also gaining attention. In October, the European Data Protection Board called for recording indicators that are difficult to overlook and emphasized that manufacturers cannot simply transfer their privacy responsibilities to device users. Meanwhile, bans and restrictions on certain recording-enabled technologies are beginning to emerge in countries such as Norway and Australia.
Mitchell concluded: “Regulators in some places are starting to take notice, however. In October, the European Data Protection Board called for recording cues that are difficult to miss and said manufacturers cannot simply shift privacy obligations onto wearers, while bans and restrictions are emerging in countries such as Norway and Australia. Consumers will ultimately have to decide whether always-available assistance is worth giving AI that much access to their lives.”
