Halo Launches AI Smart Glasses to Transcribe and Display Conversations

Two former Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, are launching AI-powered smart glasses called Halo. The glasses listen to, record, and transcribe conversations in real-time, providing relevant information to the wearer. Halo has raised $1 million and will be priced at $249. The technology aims to make the wearer "super intelligent" and has the potential to compete with Meta's smart glasses.

Two former Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, are set to launch Halo, a pair of AI-powered smart glasses that listen to, record, and transcribe conversations in real-time. The glasses, priced at $249, are aimed at making the wearer "super intelligent" by providing relevant information instantly.

Halo, a startup co-founded by Nguyen and Ardayfio, has secured $1 million in funding led by Pillar VC, with support from Soma Capital, Village Global, and Morningside Venture. The glasses are set to compete with Meta's smart glasses, which have faced significant privacy concerns [1].

The Halo X glasses feature continuous listening and recording capabilities, real-time transcription, and an AI-powered display that provides instant information to the wearer. Ardayfio, one of the co-founders, explained that if someone says a complex word or asks a question, the glasses will display the answer in real-time. The glasses are currently being tested in the Silicon Valley area with around 20 beta testers [2].

While the technology promises to enhance personal computing, it has sparked privacy concerns. The glasses do not have an external indicator to warn others when they are recording, which could lead to misuse. Eva Galperin, the director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warned that normalizing the use of always-on recording devices could erode the expectation of privacy in public spaces [2].

Nguyen and Ardayfio have a history of controversial projects. While at Harvard, they developed I-XRAY, a facial-recognition app for Meta's smart glasses, which demonstrated the ease of adding such technology to existing devices without consent. The duo acknowledged the risks associated with their technology but emphasized that they are committed to ensuring user privacy [2].

Despite the privacy concerns, Halo is positioning itself as a potential competitor to Meta's smart glasses. The glasses are expected to be available for pre-order starting this week. Halo aims to provide end-to-end encryption and SOC 2 compliance to ensure the security of user data, although specific details on these measures were not provided [1].

References:
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/20/harvard-dropouts-to-launch-always-on-ai-smart-glasses-that-listen-and-record-every-conversation/
[2] https://theoutpost.ai/news-story/harvard-dropouts-launch-ai-powered-smart-glasses-with-always-on-listening-and-recording-capabilities-19347/