San Diego startup Aynak has begun testing prototypes of smart glasses that use artificial intelligence to amplify the voices of conversation partners and reduce background noise. The company, founded by former Qualcomm engineers, plans a price of 700 dollars and to submit an application for FDA certification in the summer of 2027.
The Aynak glasses weigh less than 42 grams and are equipped with several microphones, a small camera, a circuit board, speakers and a battery. The artificial intelligence analyzes the direction of the user's gaze and the distance to conversation partners, determining exactly whom to listen to. In a bar or cafe, the system does not amplify the conversation at the next table, while in a living room it focuses on the television or on a conversation partner within a radius of two meters.
The app creates an individual hearing profile: the glasses test frequency perception and automatically amplify the frequencies the user hears less well. Data processing happens locally on the device, without storing audio or video. The camera provides only low resolution, sufficient for face recognition but not for identifying a person or recording.
The glasses have not yet received FDA approval, so they cannot be positioned as hearing aids. After certification, they are expected to become an alternative to over-the-counter devices. The company is already distributing about 35 pairs of prototypes through San Diego optical shops for testing in real-world conditions — noisy cafes, family celebrations and outdoors.
Among the competitors are the Hearing Enhancement feature in Meta glasses for 150 dollars as an add-on and the Nuance Audio models from EssilorLuxottica. Aynak stands out for its multimodal approach with a camera and strict local computing, but it has not yet disclosed battery life or exact speaker specifications. The release is planned for the summer of 2027.
For those who avoid traditional hearing aids because of stigma, the Aynak glasses could become a convenient option, if testing confirms comfort and reliability in everyday use.
