Sergey Brin, one of the founding partners of Google, made striking statements about the Google Glass project, introduced with great expectation years ago but could not see the expected interest. Speaking at a session with Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis at the I/O 2025 event, Brin confessed that they had serious shortcomings in managing production processes. Although Google Glass created excitement in the world of technology when it was introduced, it caused various problems both in technical and social angles in daily use. According to Brin, the basis of these problems was that the team did not have sufficient experience in the hardware production process.
Brin stated that consumer electronics products do not have almost any information about the supply chain and underestimate production and cost management. It was much more complex than they intends to technically make a device in the form of glasses both at the technically functional and to offer accessible price level. He said that this process is not limited to developing products, but also realized that it requires a multi -faceted operational skill. In particular, it has been one of the main challenges that Brin underlined.
Sergey Brin protects his faith despite mistakes
Despite all these errors, Brin said he believes that the augmented reality goggles still still valid. He said that with today’s technologies, these devices have become much more user -friendly and aesthetically acceptable. In particular, the new generation of glasses produced by Xreal, he said it was important in this respect that it seems to be a “normal glasses”. He emphasized that they are no longer progressing in this field alone and that strong business partners such as Samsung and Xreal are included in the process.
Google develops the Android XR platform that brings together augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. Project Aura glasses developed with Samsung’s Project Moohan title and Xreal are among the main components of this platform. Brin believes that these new collaborations will prevent the repetition of past mistakes. In addition, more integrated solutions can be produced on the software and hardware side.
The Google Glass project was a product ahead of its time when it was introduced in 2013. But both the insufficient artificial intelligence skills and the hardware limitations weakened the device’s user experience. In addition, the exterior of the glasses and the camera module brought confidentiality concerns. In addition to all these, the negative perception in the public has prevented the spread of the device.
Nevertheless, Google Glass should not be seen as a completely unsuccessful initiative. Although he could not meet the expectations on the consumer side, he served for many years in corporate use. It was used in a limited but effective way in sectors such as logistics, health and production. This use continued until the device was officially terminated in 2023.
Brin thinks that past experiences pave the way for today’s technological developments. With the development of artificial intelligence technologies, he believes that devices such as glasses can help users more. Nowadays, such devices are much higher in the capacity to provide information without distracting attention. This makes XR devices more integrated into daily life.
Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, such as other XR products are still difficult to reach large audiences. There are still obstacles such as price, comfort and content limitations in front of the spread of these devices. In addition to all these, the level of social acceptance continues to be a decisive factor in the user experience. Although XR technologies are still at the beginning of the road, their potential increases thanks to their hardware and artificial intelligence integrations.