Apple Execs Address Privacy Concerns Over AI Wearables, Say Live Rewind Needs User Activation

Apple CEO John Ternus and SVP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak recently gave an interview about Meta's "creepy glasses" controversy and privacy concerns around AI wearables. Joswiak called the phrase a "marketing slogan," while Ternus pointed to the Apple Watch Series 12's "Live Rewind" feature as an example of Apple's privacy-first approach.

Live Rewind only starts when the user presses the Digital Crown, and it does not transcribe in the background. Once activated, the watch plays a chime through the speaker, even in silent mode or with headphones connected. A full-screen animation and microphone indicator also appear to alert people nearby.

The watch also has a "Siri Recap" feature that records a full day of conversations and generates a summary. Both executives stressed that neither feature identifies specific people, users cannot get audio recordings, and Apple cannot access raw audio files.