Overview
- An updated Jan. 9 uniform policy bars smart glasses with photo, video, or artificial intelligence capabilities from being worn in Air Force uniforms.
- Use of earbuds, headphones, earpieces, and other Bluetooth devices in uniform is now limited to personnel authorized for official duties.
- An Air Force spokesperson said the change reflects operational security concerns as recording and transmitting features become more common on base.
- Dana Thayer of the 104th Fighter Wing warned that AI-enabled glasses like Ray-Ban Meta rely on cloud services and may record unintentionally, making them unsuitable for military installations.
- Other services have not issued force-wide bans, with policies often left to commanders, and the Army continues limited trials using smart glasses to document maintenance and explore AI-guided repairs.