Apple Defends 15-Second AI Watch Listening Feature as Meta Glasses Face Privacy Backlash
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Sep 11
Apple Defends 15-Second AI Watch Listening Feature as Meta Glasses Face Privacy Backlash
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Sep 11
Summary
Apple executives said new Apple Watch features "Siri Recap" and "Live Rewind" are designed to process conversations without storing audio, as the company tries to head off privacy concerns around AI wearables.
Live Rewind shows a text snippet of the last 15 seconds of nearby speech, while Siri Recap can turn meetings or a full day into high-level notes after on-device AI detects speech.
John Ternus and Greg Joswiak said the tools do not identify speakers, do not create replayable recordings, and leave Apple without raw audio files that could be handed over.
Apple also built screen-based audio and visual cues into Live Rewind to alert people nearby, echoing a debate Meta has faced over recording lights on its AI glasses.
The optional features will enter beta later this year on Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, extending AI note-taking into wearables while testing how much ambient listening users and bystanders will accept.