Fashion

Google and Gentle Monster Just Revealed Their First AI Glasses

BYMille Team

May 19, 2026

More than a decade after Google Glass flopped its way into internet history, Google is once again trying to convince people to put computers on their faces. Only this time, it seems to have realized something fairly obvious: if smart glasses are ever going to work, they actually need to look good. At today’s Google I/O 2026, annual developer conference where the company unveils its biggest upcoming software, AI, Android, and hardware announcements, Google officially revealed its upcoming intelligent eyewear partnership with Gentle Monster and Samsung, offering a first look at a new line of AI-powered glasses arriving later this year.

The collaboration introduces audio glasses equipped with built-in speakers, microphones, and a camera, allowing users to listen to music, take calls, capture photos, and interact directly with Google Gemini through voice commands. According to the official press release, the glasses will also provide real-time navigation, live translation features, and AI-assisted tasks such as editing photos or placing delivery orders in the moment.

Unlike the original Google Glass, which largely ignored the reality that people care deeply about how they look wearing something on their face, this new project seems fully aware that wearable technology now lives or dies by aesthetics as much as functionality. And that is precisely where Gentle Monster enters the picture.

The Seoul-based label that has become one of fashion’s favorite eyewear brands over the past decade. Since launching in 2011, the Korean brand has built a reputation for making sunglasses feel weird, cool, slightly futuristic, and occasionally a little absurd in the best possible way. Over the years, they’ve worked with Maison Margiela, Bratz, and BLACKPINK’s Jennie. Most recently, the label unveiled its 2026 Veggie Collection, a folding eyewear line inspired by the shapes, textures, and colors of vegetables.

Last year, Google reportedly invested $100 million into Gentle Monster for a 4 percent stake, signaling that this partnership goes far beyond a one-off collaboration. And it also sends a fairly direct message to Meta, which has been aggressively pushing its own AI glasses through partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley.

Right now, every major tech company seems convinced that smart glasses are the next big thing. The difference is that Google finally appears aware that if AI glasses are ever going to become truly normalized, they probably need to feel less like gadgets and more like something people would willingly style into an outfit.

The frames revealed today lean heavily into Gentle Monster’s sleek, minimal aesthetic, avoiding the bulky, awkward feel that has plagued wearable tech for years. Rendered in a glossy black finish, the glasses feature a narrow oval silhouette with softly curved edges and a tiny camera embedded near the hinge. The campaign was shot by Carlijn Jacobs, which probably explains why the rollout feels closer to a fashion campaign than a typical tech launch.

Whether people are actually ready to embrace AI glasses full-time is another story entirely. But compared to the deeply cursed energy surrounding Google Glass back in 2012, this version at least understands the assignment.

Google and Gentle Monster Just Revealed Their First AI Glasses

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Google and Gentle Monster Just Revealed Their First AI Glasses

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