Kmart's Budget Smart Glasses Sell Out in Australia, Raise Privacy Concerns

Australia's Kmart has seen its AI-powered smart glasses, Anko AI Camera Glasses, sell out nationwide after launching for 89 Australian dollars (about 90,000 won). This is a significant development in the market, as these glasses offer features similar to Meta's Ray-Ban Meta, such as photography and video recording, but at a much lower price point. The industry views this sellout as a signal that AI smart glasses are becoming more mainstream.

However, experts raise concerns about privacy invasion, as the glasses' LED indicator light may not be easily noticeable, making it difficult to tell when recording is taking place. Tom Sulston, policy chief at Digital Rights Watch, calls camera-embedded smart glasses a 'privacy nightmare', criticizing laws and systems related to personal information protection for failing to keep pace with wearable technology development.

Meta's success in the market has contributed to this trend, with cumulative sales of its smart glasses surpassing 7 million units worldwide. Despite facing controversy over privacy issues, Meta has modified its software to address these concerns, making it harder to record without consent when the LED indicator is covered.