Despite installing numerous ad-blocking tools, I’m still bombarded by real-world ads while simply trying to enjoy a stroll. Fortunately, there may be a promising advancement on the horizon. Recently, software engineer Stijn Spanhove shared a concept video demonstrating real-time ad-blocking in physical spaces through Snap Spectacles, and I really want to experience it. Take a look:
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The concept involves AI in your smart glasses detecting advertisements within your line of sight and “removing them” instantly, so you won’t have to endure what they want to force upon you.
In Spanhove’s demonstration, a red block obscures unwanted ads; however, you could customize what covers, say, that Wendy’s promotion—perhaps an abstract artwork, a cherished family photo, or even a commercial for Arby’s.
How close are we to real-life ad-blocking?
While currently still in testing, the idea of real-world ad-blocking doesn’t seem too distant. The technology is already available; modern consumer AI spectacles like Meta Ray Bans can accurately identify what you’re viewing with impressive precision.
However, replacing those ads presents a tougher challenge. AR smart glasses such as the XReal Airs, alongside the forthcoming Snap Spectacles and augmented reality features in VR devices like the Meta Quest 3, can already remove elements from the real world and substitute them. Nonetheless, there currently aren’t any fully functional AR devices suitable for everyday wear. Issues of battery life and device weight persist, but these are likely solvable problems. With so many players entering the smart glasses sector, it seems only a matter of time before practical real-life ad-blocking becomes feasible.
What do you think so far?
Companies versus consumer and the creation of the ultimate echo chamber
I can envision this as a breakthrough application for smart glasses soon: a feature that consumers would genuinely appreciate. However, it’s also something advertisers and marketers would vehemently oppose, posing significant hurdles to widespread availability of ad-blocking. One could imagine a prolonged “cat-and-mouse” dynamic akin to what has unfolded online, with businesses attempting various tactics to counteract the ad-blocking glasses, such as camouflaging ads as benign content. Will there be legal ramifications? Might a large corporation developing smart glasses be reluctant to upset other businesses? And what if you want to eliminate promotions for the very device you are using?
There are also social implications to consider. People likely wouldn’t limit themselves to simply replacing ads with pixelated designs. They might eliminate anything that bothers them: homeless individuals, construction zones, even other people displaying traits they find undesirable. Tailoring one’s visual environment could foster individual echo chambers that present a more pleasing version of reality, while drifting further from genuine experiences—the ultimate echo chamber.
Ethical dilemmas aside, I would be eager to purchase glasses that could modify reality to my preferences. I’m confident I would use them sensibly, although I’m unsure about others. Perhaps I wouldn’t wear them all the time—just most of the time.