Yet again from the “life imitates Black Mirror” files is a report from Joanna Stern at WSJ highlighting wearable AI devices. The Bee Pioneer captures conversations to provide summaries and reminders. The Limitless Pendant records audio to offer behavioral feedback, aiming to improve personal interactions. Finally, Plaud Note transcribes and summarizes recordings using AI, assisting with tasks like meeting notes and to-do lists. These devices record everything you say, all the time, around the clock.

I’m amazed at the proliferation of surveillance products designed to blend seamlessly into daily life, and our willingness to tolerate such surveillance. I experienced this firsthand when my daughter convinced my wife and me to get a pet bunny. Wanting to monitor the adorable animal while away, we installed a Google Nest camera, linking it to my daughter’s account. During setup, she remarked, “Sure, Google, take all of my information. Google has all of our data anyway.” Her comment underscored our growing acceptance of constant monitoring.

And now, it’s not just our smartphones. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, for instance, resemble regular eyewear but can discreetly record videos and livestream content. A recent incident involved an influencer using these glasses to film women without their consent.

Even before this latest report and the experience with the bunny cam, I was mildly aware that someone might record me while I was out in public. But now, I think I will have to operate under the very accute paranoia that any interaction could be recorded and shared out of context to millions. In response, counter-surveillance tools are emerging, which merely underscores society’s ambivalence toward these advancements.

So where does that leave us? Swimming around in our little surveillance fishbowl, occasionally waving at the cameras we know about.

To be fair, I’m not abandoning my smart devices. That ship has sailed. However, I am more discerning about what I bring into my home, and how I behave while out in public.