When I first read about Amazon’s plans for AR smart glasses, I didn’t expect much (Niesen, 2025). Virtually placing furniture in your living room before buying sounded convenient, but not exactly revolutionary. That changed when I saw Meta’s second-generation Ray-Ban Display glasses. These glasses feature a tiny in-lens display and connect to a neural wristband that picks up muscle signals from your wrist. This allows users to control the display with subtle gestures even from inside a pocket without relying on their camera. It feels like science fiction is slowly becoming something we can actually wear (Gibbs, 2025).
These days, AR is changing whole sectors. The first lung cancer procedure guided by AR was carried out by surgeons at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. To make surgery safer and more accurate, they projected virtual images of the tumor and blood vessels onto the lung (Erasmus MC, 2025). AR helps retailers like IKEA better organize their inventories and allows buyers to sample furniture at home (IKEA, 2025). AR glasses are used in factories and warehouses to help employees complete jobs, which lowers errors and expedites training. And in defense, the U.S. military has developed a “super helmet” that fuses night vision with real-time data about threats and teammates, giving soldiers a tactical edge on the battlefield (Bright, 2025).
AR, in my opinion, is going to transform the way we deal with information. People will be able to make decisions faster and more efficiently as a result of the facts being more visual and intuitive. However, it also brings up important issues about security, privacy, and even the extent to which we are willing to allow technology to take over our daily lives. AR has the potential to make life safer, smarter, and much more connected if businesses and regulators work together to create clear rules and guarantee transparency.
References
Gibbs, S. (2025, 18 september). Meta announces first Ray-Ban smart glasses with in-built augmented reality display. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/17/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses
Bright. (2025, January 10). Amerikaanse soldaten krijgen augmented reality-superhelm die alles ziet. https://www.bright.nl/nieuws/1691239/amerikaanse-soldaten-krijgen-augmented-reality-superhelm-die-alles-ziet.html
Erasmus MC. (2025, January 5). World-first lung cancer surgery with augmented reality. https://amazingerasmusmc.nl/chirurgie/wereldprimeur-longkankeroperatie-met-augmented-reality/
IKEA. (2025). IKEA Place AR app. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/mobile-apps/
Mashable. (2025, January 8). Amazon is developing AR smart glasses for drivers and consumers. https://nl.mashable.com/tech-2/11871/amazon-is-bezig-met-ar-smartbrillen-maken-voor-chauffeurs-en-consumenten-dit-moet-je-weten
