Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Reflects on Google Glass Mistakes
During an onstage interview at Google I/O 2025, Google co-founder Sergey Brin opened up about the mistakes he made with Google Glass. Brin admitted that he lacked knowledge about consumer electronic supply chains and underestimated the challenges of building smart glasses at an affordable price point. Despite the setbacks, Brin expressed his belief in the potential of smart glasses and highlighted the company’s renewed focus on the technology with the help of strategic partners.
At the event, Google unveiled its latest project to develop Android XR smart glasses, a decade after the discontinuation of Google Glass. The new smart glasses, powered by DeepMind’s Project Astra, showcased advanced capabilities such as live translations, directions, and AI assistance. Google has collaborated with industry partners like Samsung and Xreal to bring these glasses to life and has invested in a partnership with Warby Parker to support their smart glasses initiatives.
One of the key advancements that Brin highlighted was the role of generative AI in enhancing the capabilities of smart glasses, making them more practical and functional than ever before. This technological progress has reignited Google’s interest in smart glasses and prompted Brin to actively engage in the company’s Gemini efforts.
Brin revealed that he has returned from retirement to work on multimodal projects within Google, focusing on AI-driven initiatives like the video-generating model Veo 3. Emphasizing the importance of AI in today’s technological landscape, Brin encouraged computer scientists to stay actively involved in the field rather than retiring.
Recent reports have suggested that Brin has been pushing Google’s Gemini teams to excel in the AI race, setting high expectations for productivity and commitment. Brin’s hands-on approach and dedication to advancing AI technology underscore Google’s ongoing efforts to innovate and lead in the tech industry.