A Future in Sight: What Comes After AR Glasses?

Introduction

For the past decade, we’ve watched augmented reality (AR) glasses move from sci-fi promise to clunky prototypes, and now into sleek, usable products. A recent TED Talk I watched — *The Next Computer? Your Glasses by Shahram Izadi  — sparked my curiosity and inspired me to dig deeper into what might come next.

As someone immersed in cybersecurity, AI enablement, and climate innovation — with roles spanning tech, local government, and community energy — I find myself increasingly asking: What’s next?

The answer might not sit on your nose. It might sit in your eye.

From Smart Glasses to Seamless Vision

By the end of this decade, we can expect AR glasses to become as normal as smartphones are today — lightweight, stylish, and powered by always-on AI assistants. They’ll display contextual overlays in meetings, guide you on site visits, support partner enablement, and quietly nudge you towards healthier choices or more efficient routines. In my own life, they could help with:

  • Instant policy lookup during council visits.

  • Real-time solar layout visualisation on energy sites.

  • AI-driven notes while presenting to partners or voters.

  • Translations, stargazing, and even cheese pairing advice at home.

But what if even these glasses became redundant?

The Rise of Smart Contact Lenses

By the early 2030s, AR contact lenses are likely to hit the market — not for gamers or hobbyists, but for professionals who need subtle, high-performance digital overlays without the barrier of a screen. These lenses will:

  • Project tiny microLED displays directly onto your retina.

  • Be powered wirelessly or via solar trickle charge.

  • Use your blink, gaze or wristband as input.

  • Integrate with AI companions to offer guidance exactly when you need it.

Imagine talking to a constituent while seeing a floating reminder of their last concern. Or visualising a planning proposal as you walk the actual field.

Looking Further: AR in Your Eyes

The real game-changer comes in the 2040s: intraocular AR lenses. Like laser eye surgery or cataract replacement today, this involves upgrading the lens inside your eye with a digitally enhanced version. You wouldn’t just see better — you’d see more.

These lenses could offer:

  • Real-time overlays fused directly into your vision.

  • Zoom, night vision, or biometrics-on-demand.

  • Neural input for seamless, thought-controlled interaction.

  • Continuous health and performance monitoring.

In a world increasingly powered by AI and augmented cognition, this becomes more than convenience — it becomes a way to manage information overload, and to see with clarity in every sense.

Final Thoughts

We’re not far from a world where digital context becomes part of perception. As leaders, technologists, and community builders, it’s up to us to shape how that transition happens. With the right ethical frameworks, AI safeguards, and design principles, we can ensure that this future is enhancing, not invasive.

A future of augmented vision — not just for profit, but for purpose

A Glimpse into 2048

Here’s a short scene I imagine. I’ve written it not as prediction, but as provocation:

I step out of Thames House, my home, and blink twice. The Cotswold morning reveals a soft, digital shimmer: a weather forecast floating gently above the trees. I walk toward the village hall. An overlay appears — EV charger stats, solar input, policy references. A resident greets me. My AI offers a discreet reminder: “Lucy, raised concern about glare from the south array.” I respond, with confidence and context — no screens, no glasses, no delay. Later, as we prepare dinner, it gently suggests the best cheese for my microbiome.

No friction. Just clarity.

What role do you think AR should play in the future of work, health, or community? Would you wear it? Would you embed it?

Let’s start that conversation now — before the future arrives in our field of view.

Mike McKeown