Google made personnel changes to revive AR devices, but based on AI

Google is revising its plans for augmented reality glasses, trying to catch up and stop the flow of skilled talent to competitors, as well as convince partners to use its Android XR software, which is still in the development stage, Business Insider reports.

Image source: Samsung

In May, at the Google IO developer conference, everyone remembered the demonstration of the Astra project, an AI-based virtual assistant capable of perceiving the world around us in real time. Astra understood jokes, read code, and could even remember where the user left his glasses. But the most impressive moment of the presentation was when the user switched from using Astra on a smartphone to working with the program on augmented reality glasses.

This has sparked speculation that the company has revived its Iris smart glasses project, which Business Insider reported last year. However, as it became known, the demonstration was just a concept, the purpose of which was to show what an AI assistant can do in augmented reality (AR) devices.

Google appears to be aiming to take advantage of the artificial intelligence boom to revive AR technology. Within the company, efforts are being made to consolidate resources to accelerate development and establish partnerships to create a range of wearable devices. The challenge, however, is convincing consumers, partners and employees that this time the AR outcome will be positive.

We already know about the partnership between Google and Samsung to develop a headset based on new software from Google. However, according to sources familiar with the situation, the launch of the device was repeatedly delayed for various reasons. The release has currently been postponed to the first quarter of 2025.

The company admits that it has had a few false starts in the area of ​​extended reality (XR), which includes virtual, augmented and mixed reality. However, Google is confident that such wearable devices are a logical application of the AI ​​models currently being developed.

Preparing for the resurgence of augmented reality technologies amid the AI ​​boom, the company is reorganizing internal teams and bringing on new talent to accelerate AR development. So, in April, Google merged some of its divisions, appointing Shahram Izadi, Microsoft’s former HoloLens director, as head. A month later, the Project Astra concept was demonstrated, which is based on artificial intelligence and is capable of perceiving the world around us through AR glasses in real time. Google has also tapped Hugo Swart, former head of XR at Qualcomm, to develop its AR ecosystem and partnerships.

At the same time, the company is faced with the problem of staff outflow after recent layoffs and changes in management. Last month, Jeffrey Margolis, a lead AR architect at Google who previously helped create the HoloLens headset at Microsoft, left the company to join Meta✴, where he will work on the smart glasses of the future.

According to a source close to Margolis, several Google employees have also moved to Meta✴ in recent months, including out of frustration with Google’s constant course changes and layoffs in the AR division in January of this year.