Harvard dropouts to launch AI smart glasses that record every conversation

Halo X

Two former Harvard students are developing “always-on” AI smart glasses that listen to, record, and transcribe every conversation, then display relevant information to the wearer in real time. The startup behind the technology, Halo, aims to create a device that enhances intelligence immediately upon wearing it.

“Our goal is to make glasses that make you super intelligent the moment you put them on,” said co-founder AnhPhu Nguyen. His partner, Caine Ardayfio, added that the glasses “give you infinite memory” by listening to every conversation and suggesting responses in real time, likening the experience to an in-person AI assistant.

The Halo X glasses will be priced at $249, with preorders starting Wednesday. The startup has raised $1 million from Pillar VC, with additional support from Soma Capital, Village Global and Morningside Venture. According to the co-founders, the glasses are the “first real step towards vibe thinking,” a concept they describe as real-time augmentation of cognition.

The device, which relies on a microphone and display but no camera, connects to a companion app on the user’s smartphone for processing. Under the hood, the system uses Google’s Gemini for reasoning tasks and Perplexity to access information online. Users receive prompts, answers and guidance in real time, with audio transcribed via Soniox, which claims not to store recordings. Halo plans end-to-end encryption for the final product and aims for SOC 2 compliance, though no completion date has been provided.

Privacy experts have raised concerns about the glasses’ potential for covert surveillance. Unlike Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which include an indicator light when recording, Halo X lacks any external warning. “Normalising the use of an always-on recording device, which in many circumstances would require consent, erodes the expectation of privacy we have for our conversations,” said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Halo’s founders emphasised that users are responsible for complying with local laws, including in states that require two-party consent for recording. Nguyen and Ardayfio previously demonstrated privacy-invasive projects, such as I-XRAY, which added facial-recognition capabilities to Meta Ray-Ban glasses to show how easily personal information could be obtained without consent.

Despite the concerns, the co-founders see an opportunity to compete with established smart glasses brands, arguing that companies such as Meta are unlikely to release a fully always-on device due to reputational risks. Halo X currently records and transcribes audio, deleting the original files, and displays prompts on the glasses, although future models may include a camera.

The glasses are manufactured by a third-party partner, with the startup withholding the company’s name. The founders describe Halo X as discreet, aiming to provide intelligence augmentation without drawing attention, while relying on users to manage privacy responsibilities.