Chris Dale, PR head of Google Glass, says it’s a ‘living experiment’ and that feedback trumps surprise

Google Glass has had a mixed bag of reception, and it worries some that Google has made clear that it’s still more of an experiment while Android Wear devices have already gone on to be full-fledged products. And that’s probably because it’s simply not ready for the public, yet. The device’s roller coaster of good and bad press is definitely an example of this, but Tom’s Guide got a chance to sit down with Chris Dale, head of communications and public affairs for Google Glass, who says nothing we’ve seen is really a surprise.

Dale makes some very valid arguments trying to downplay the criticisms and critique that Glass has received over privacy issues. “New technology always raises new issues, and it’s important that we have a public discussion about the benefits and challenges. But ultimately, perceptions evolve,” he said.  “Kodak cameras in the 1890s were banned in public spaces, because people feared the idea of their image being captured without their permission.”

One piece of the interview that really sticks out is what seems to be a subtle shot at Apple. Instead of hiding all of its developments and then surprisingly unleashing them upon the world, Dale says that Google wants Glass to be a “living.. public experiment” that, although admittedly messy, brings much valuable feedback that can be incorporated into both the product as well as the company’s policies.

We, as a company, could very easily have taken this technology into a conference room, wrapped the conference room in tin foil and developed this over the course of two to three years and released it en masse and basically said, “You know what? Deal with it. The technology is ready, and here it is.”

What we decided to do instead was have a living laboratory for a very public experiment. Is it messy? Sure. And are there are things that you couldn’t predict? Absolutely. But there is all of this feedback that you get from these Explorers and these use cases. We cannot only bake the feedback into the product, but bake it into our policies. 

Be sure to head over to Tom’s Guide and read the full interview.