Beyond Wearables Right now, AI is on your face and arms-smart glasses and smart watches-but this year will see it proliferate further into products like earbuds, headphones, and smart clothing. Health tech will see an influx of AI features too, as companies aim to use AI to monitor biometric data from wearables like rings and wristbands. Heath sensors will also continue to show up in newer places like toilets, bath mats, and brassieres.
Even before CES 2026 officially kicks off, one of ZDNET's predictions for the biggest trends is already taking off: AI wearables. Memories.ai unveiled Project LUCI (Long Understanding Contextual Intelligence), a research prototype designed to lay the foundation for AI wearables that people actually want to use and wear. Developers can utilize the device to create their own AI wearables, ready to deliver value to customers. If the name sounds familiar, it is because, prior to Project LUCI, the company exhibited the LUCI Pin at last year's CES. However, at the time, it was a concept demo geared toward consumers, which has now pivoted into developer-focused hardware.
A new wave of AI-powered gadgets on the market aims to integrate artificial intelligence into our daily lives like never before. Some of these AI wearables-including necklaces, rings, and wristbands, as well as portable devices- serve as productivity tools, while others claim to act as friendly companions listening to your everyday thoughts. Even OpenAI is working on a compact AI companion device.
At Meta Connect 2025, the company's biggest event of the year, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled three new smart glasses: the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta, the Meta Ray-Ban Display and wristband controller, and the Oakley Meta Vanguard. Meta says it has sold two million of the first-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and earlier this year, Meta unveiled its latest AI-powered smart glasses with Oakley, which were designed for athletes. Silicon Valley is leaning heavily into AI wearables, and Meta seems to be one of the companies leading the charge.
Meta Connect is Zuckerberg's chance to prove the company's sprawling investments in wearables, software, and AI are converging into something consumers would potentially pay more for. A look back at Meta Connect 2024 Last year, Zuckerberg generated major buzz with a prototype of the Orion glasses, Meta's first true attempt at fully holographic AR. He also laid out a vision of wider adoption of AI glasses.
Every September, hundreds of thousands of visitors descend upon Berlin for IFA, one of the largest trade tech conferences in Europe. IFA heralds the unofficial start of Techtember, when companies launch products in anticipation of the holiday shopping season. For over 100 years, companies, financiers, and journalists have crossed the Spree and eaten cold liver sausage for breakfast, just to check out the latest innovations in consumer electronics.
