Augmented reality smart glasses: Understanding user benefits, risks, and outcomes

Augmented reality smart glasses (ARSGs) are still in the early stages of widespread adoption and have yet to reach their full potential in both industrial applications and personal use. Nevertheless, continuous technological advancements have led to the emergence of new ARSG models developed by various brands and equipped with increasingly sophisticated features. This study presents a research model to examine the factors influencing the adoption and use of ARSGs. The model integrates information privacy concerns and perceived ubiquity. Additionally, it incorporates perceived benefits and perceived risks, examined through the lens of the privacy calculus theory. This framework posits that individuals perform a cost-benefit analysis when deciding whether to adopt emerging technologies. The model links these perceptions to two key outcomes: well-being, a humanistic outcome, and end-user performance, an instrumental outcome. The results reveal that perceived ubiquity and benefits have a strong, significant influence on outcomes, often outweighing concerns about privacy and associated risks. These findings deepen understanding of user acceptance in the context of ARSGs and offer valuable insights for developers, marketers, and policymakers seeking to promote more effective adoption strategies.