At the museum, AI glasses distinguish storytelling from conversation
· BehindLines newsroom
In Mountain View, the Computer History Museum has devoted an exhibition to the history of technologies worn in front of the eyes. Scheduled to run until 28 March 2027, it brings together more than 100 historic and contemporary devices. The exhibition connects early virtual reality experiments with today’s glasses incorporating artificial intelligence functions. Museum programme.
The exhibition covers several families: virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Google Glass, Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, Apple Vision Pro and Aria research devices are among the announced exhibits. Their presence in the display cases traces different answers to the same question: how can we wear a computer and interact with our surroundings?
Practical sessions complement the displays. The museum’s calendar lists, among other dates, 7 and 21 November, from 13:00 to 16:00, local time at the museum in California, for visitors aged 13 and over. These scheduled sessions do not mean that a demonstration is available at all times.
In its announcement of 21 October, Meta describes the museum mode offered during these sessions. Recognising an exhibit label triggers a story prepared by the curators. The visitor can then ask a follow-up question. The curated narration and the AI-generated response use distinct voices to make the change of source perceptible. Meta announcement.
The manufacturer specifies that the devices loaned in this mode are used to recognise exhibit labels or QR codes, that capture features are disabled and that the devices are reset after use. These are the conditions announced for this experience; they do not constitute a technical audit of the glasses here.
Another experience, conducted with Project Aria research glasses, explores audio guidance and conversation during a visit. The museum explicitly states that this prototype remains in research and is not open to the public. Museum clarification. The exhibition, the scheduled sessions and this prototype therefore have different access conditions.