AI-Powered Wearables Will Force Our Privacy Expectations To Change

Opinion by: Evin McMullen, Co-Founder and CEO of Billions Network and Co-Founder of Privado ID

Population surveillance has evolved over the years. First, it was from other people; Later, it was about collecting data. In 2025, wearable technology will become the new frontier for public surveillance on a larger scale.

This isn’t necessarily some kind of dystopia, nor is it comfortable — it’s a new paradigm for how we engage with each other and our data. While it is inevitable that people will need to redefine their expectations around privacy as we enter this new era of surveillance, now is the time to seize the opportunity to shape this new normal before technology marginalizes us from active participants to passive subjects.

The way to do this is through encryption.

Surveillance through the ages

For most of human history, surveillance and intelligence operations were limited to what the eye could see. This meant that police officers and investigators were the primary sources of public data, and residents accepted this as necessary for the state to keep them safe.

As surveillance technology advances, such as satellite imagery and Internet monitoring, society becomes increasingly disturbed. CCTV initially sparked outrage among civil liberties groups over the creation of a so-called “Big Brother” society. But over time, residents have come to realize that these forces exist so that malicious actors can be eliminated.

Today, we stand on the threshold of a new era of surveillance, driven by wearable devices, decentralized networks, and of course the pervasive and seductive influence of artificial intelligence. This era of the “infinite panopticon” will be characterized by the spread of technology and broader acceptance of surveillance.

Do you remember Google Glass? Google’s 2013 wearable computer is now a museum piece, but it normalized the idea of ​​technology being an extension of the self.

Fast forward to 2025, and augmented reality (AR) devices are becoming more common and advanced. In addition to smartphones, we have smartwatches, cars, televisions, “personal assistants,” doorbells and more – all of which collect our data 24/7. This trend is expected to continue, with more advanced AI being included in the latest products.

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Consider Ray-Ban’s Meta smart glasses, which allow users to make calls, send text messages, control features, and more. Apple is joining the fun with its own smart glasses set to launch in 2026, which will offer “multimodal AI,” integration with Siri, and the ability to “analyze” the wearer’s environment.

It’s the same offer Big Tech has been making for decades: We’ll give you the future in exchange for more intimate data.

The difference with wearables? They’re not monetizing your searches, but your conversational tone, your emotions… all the little special things that make us who we are.

However, as happened with CCTV and social media tracking, most people are likely to accept that this is the next stage in how services work. This does not mean that there will not be discussions, but the benefits will open many doors that will make these practices more widely accepted.

Fortunately, there is a technique that can minimize the invasiveness while maximizing the benefits.

Increasingly perfect technology

This technological explosion in surveillance has led to many legal and ethical debates about individuals’ right to privacy in the digital age. There have been developments such as Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US National Security Agency’s spying on ordinary American citizens, or the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which remind all citizens of the value of their data. Despite these discoveries and debates, most users will still accept digital monitoring for its benefits.

This represents a growing demand for a new model of how we deal with our privacy. Users can become active participants in their sovereignty, having a say in what data they allow to be collected and, ultimately, what is done with it. The paradigm is changing, putting humans in control of their digital footprint for the first time.

What makes this paradigm shift plausible is a form of cryptography – zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. ZK proofs mean that data can be analyzed and verified without revealing what that data is. This is key to making broader data collection fair and safe for the wider public. Just because an automated system authenticates a user’s age, address, or other information doesn’t mean a human ever needs to see it.

This will reshape the way residents view privacy moving forward. No one is calling for the destruction of personal obfuscation, but between encryption and authorized access, users will still maintain a wall between their data and most of the world’s data.

The truth is that the benefits of the latest technology can only be achieved through data capture. For users who want these benefits, some degree of invasive monitoring is inevitable. Now, the infrastructure and devices used for surveillance will shape the standards of everyday life.

Fortunately, encryption provides a path through which everyone can benefit from a world where intelligent surveillance is part of the daily societal experience. However, it will require a new way of looking at our privacy.

Opinion by: Evin McMullen, Co-Founder and CEO of Billions Network and Co-Founder of Privado ID.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.