Lorde Slams AI Glasses at Mad Cool: What Founders Should Know
16 Jul 2026
Pop star Lorde used her Mad Cool Festival set in Madrid to deliver an unscripted verdict on the AI wearables boom: "Don't get the glasses. Not sexy."
The comment landed with extra irony given that Ray-Ban — Meta's AI glasses partner — sponsors the very festival where Lorde performed. Her remarks, made during a 2026-07-14 set, add a prominent celebrity voice to a growing public unease around camera-equipped AI wearables, even as sales of the devices are accelerating.
What Lorde said
According to the report, Lorde told the crowd: "You don't know if someone is wearing sunglasses, or if they're wearing those f–ed up, f–ing [AI glasses]. Can I just say, for the record, f— the glasses. Don't get the glasses. Not sexy."
The critique centers on a real ambiguity these devices create: bystanders often can't tell whether they're being recorded by someone wearing AI-enabled glasses versus ordinary sunglasses.
Sales are surging despite the backlash
The numbers suggest consumer demand hasn't slowed down:
- EssilorLuxottica sold roughly 2 million Ray-Ban Meta units combined across 2023 and 2024.
- In 2025 alone, EssilorLuxottica sold more than 7 million Meta AI glasses.
That's more than triple the prior two years' combined total in a single year — a trajectory that points to strong product-market fit for AI-integrated wearables, at least commercially. Celebrity marketing has helped: Kylie Jenner and Jennie both serve as promotional faces for Meta-linked AI glasses brands, giving the category a visible pop-culture pathway even as other celebrities push back.
The privacy and legal cloud
The sales growth is happening alongside mounting scrutiny:
- Meta faces multiple lawsuits and investigations alleging privacy violations tied to its AI glasses.
- One lawsuit alleges that Kenyan contract workers were required to watch graphic videos captured via the glasses as part of training Meta's AI systems.
- Smart glasses with cameras and AI features have reportedly been used as tools for harassment and extortion, according to the report.
The report does not include Meta's, Ray-Ban's, or EssilorLuxottica's response to Lorde's comments, and the current status or outcomes of the lawsuits are not detailed. The specific model of AI glasses Lorde referenced is also not identified.
Why founders should care
For founders building or considering AI-powered hardware, this story carries several probabilistic signals worth weighing:
- Market traction is likely real. The jump from 2 million to 7 million units sold suggests consumer appetite for AI wearables is probably growing, not shrinking, despite criticism — a signal that the category may be commercially viable even amid controversy.
- Reputational risk is plausible and rising. Ongoing lawsuits and privacy investigations around Meta's glasses suggest that founders building similar camera-equipped AI devices could face comparable legal and reputational exposure if privacy safeguards aren't built in early.
- Cultural skepticism could shape adoption curves. Public figures like Lorde speaking out against AI glasses may indicate a meaningful — though not yet quantified — segment of skeptical consumers, which could influence marketing strategy, target demographics, or product positioning.
- Labor and data-pipeline ethics deserve scrutiny. Allegations tied to AI training practices suggest founders should probably audit their own data-labeling and training pipelines for similar ethical or legal vulnerabilities before they become liabilities.
- A privacy-first alternative may find room to compete. The backlash documented here suggests there could be an opening for startups offering more transparent or privacy-conscious wearable AI products, positioning trust as a differentiator rather than an afterthought.
The bigger picture
Sources agree that AI glasses are simultaneously a commercial hit and a lightning rod for privacy criticism — there's no conflict in the underlying facts, just two trends moving in parallel. What's missing from the record is any indication of how Meta plans to respond to the mounting legal and cultural pressure, or how the Kenyan labor lawsuit will be resolved. For founders watching this space, the lesson may be less about whether AI wearables will sell — the numbers suggest they will — and more about whether trust and safety get built in before scrutiny catches up with growth.