#45 - Google's new AI glasses: The inside story - Juston Payne

This is a special episode of The Deep View Conversations podcast, recorded at Google I/O on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. AI smart glasses have quietly built momentum over the past several years, promising to put artificial intelligence directly in your line of sight. Now, Google has shown us the final product of its first AI glasses, which appear to have a clear competitive edge. Juston Payne, Google's director of product management for XR, joins The Deep View Conversations straight from Google I/O, where the company pulled the curtain back and gave the world a first look at two of the pairs that will lead the collection when they launch in the fall: a pair from Gentle Monster and one from Warby Parker. Juston discusses how the AI smartglasses came to be, including the collaboration between Samsung, Google, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. In addition to discussing details of the new launch, including design, product choices, functionality, the roadmap, and more, Juston also sheds light on the broader AI glasses market and why people should give them a shot. Topics covered:+ The thought put into the aesthetics and comfort of smart glasses+ What products will be available for users to purchase at launch+ How the glasses act as an equivalent of a touchscreen on a phone for interacting with Gemini+ The computation offloading strategy that leverages the user’s smartphone + The choice to first launch with an audio-only product rather than in-lens displays+ How Google is approaching privacy concerns with the cameras on the glasses+ Real-world use cases for AI smart glasses If you want to understand how AI glasses are reshaping the way people connect, this conversation will leave you much more knowledgeable about Google's strategy. Subscribe to Deep View Conversations for interviews with the leaders shaping the future of AI, business, and technology. And don't forget to sign up for The Deep View daily newsletter. We don’t just cover AI, we decode it. In a world flooded with hype, we deliver sharp, no-nonsense insights to keep you ahead of the curve and help you put AI to work every day: subscribe.thedeepview.com