As well a treasure trove of information about Apple’s smart home push, Apple’s macOS 27 release candidate includes a stunning leak of the rumoured AirPods with Cameras, showing the Siri-based Visual Intelligence functionality in action.
A video reportedly found within macOS 27 Golden Gate RC shows how AirPods could be used with Siri to request the cameras save something for later. In the example shown in the video, a wearer holds up a book and it’s captured by the cameras in the AirPods. “With Visual Intelligence your world becomes saveable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later,” the video narration explains. Stuff.tv has not been able to independently confirm the validity of the video.
Now, as good as that seems, may I just raise one point about the potential misuse of that feature that pertains to the current privacy storm about Meta Ray-Ran glasses?
In saving a book you’d like to read, or a street scene you want to remember, it could be very useful. In another context, ‘see something you like and save it for later’ could be used a little nefariously, don’t you think? Think how many people use AirPods at the gym, for example. Think how much smaller these cameras are, for example. Think how good the mics in AirPods are and how quietly you’ll be able to voice the command, for example. Catch my drift? As someone commenting on the embedded X post added: “This is worse than Meta Ray Bans – everyone has AirPods.”
Given there’s also a mass outcry about Flock and Ring security cameras, having cameras in a device that a growing percentage of people wear as a matter of course is also a concern. Can anyone say mass surveillance? Apple are going to have to do a great job of explaining the privacy guardrails on this one.
The presence of the video within Apple’s forthcoming operating system release suggests we might get AirPods Pro with Cameras as soon as the next-generation iPhone event in September.
