The 17th AREA Research Project

Research RFPs

AI + AR Glasses – State of the Art in Enterprise Use Cases

To submit a proposal for this research, please follow the guidance and complete the form below.

Background

AI-powered AR glasses are an emerging class of devices that promise hands-free access to information, but their real value for enterprise is still unclear. Many organizations are unsure how these glasses differ from phones, tablets, or traditional AR headsets, and lack a shared way to classify devices by form factor, capabilities, and readiness for industrial use. The vendor landscape is new and fragmented, with marketing-driven claims and limited neutral, fact-based comparisons focused on enterprise fit. At the same time, security, privacy, and workforce acceptance concerns remain high, with few published use cases, most are pilots rather than proven, scalable deployments. As a result, enterprise leaders are struggling to build strong internal business cases, align stakeholders, and identify the specific, high-value use cases where AI and AR glasses can deliver measurable outcomes

Customer problem

The AREA recognizes a critical gap in the successful adoption of AI and AR glasses within enterprise environments. Despite the potential for these devices to enhance productivity, quality, and safety, enterprises face significant challenges in identifying real value, navigating a fragmented vendor landscape, and addressing security and privacy concerns. There is a clear need for a shared language, taxonomy, and evaluation framework to compare devices and match them to specific work requirements. Without clear benchmarks and practical guidance, organizations struggle to move beyond pilot programs and scale high-value use cases. This research project aims to provide the necessary insights and tools to overcome these hurdles, fostering confident investment and widespread deployment of AI and AR glasses in the enterprise.

This research will address:

• The lack of clear value propositions for AI and AR glasses compared to existing enterprise tools.
• The absence of a standardized framework for classifying and comparing different AI and AR glasses.
• The need for practical guidance on high-value use cases that can scale beyond initial pilots.
• Unresolved security, privacy, and policy concerns related to the deployment of these devices.
• The difficulty in building strong internal business cases due to inconsistent information and a fragmented vendor landscape.

Project Goals

• Define a clear, practical taxonomy and shared language for AI and AR glasses in enterprise contexts.
• Identify, document, and prioritize high-value, repeatable enterprise use cases where AI and AR glasses can scale beyond pilots.
• Specify technical, operational, and AI capability requirements for top use cases, including example integration patterns.
• Develop neutral, fact-based comparison criteria and tools to evaluate and select AI and AR glasses for enterprise use.
• Analyze security, privacy, workforce, and policy implications, and synthesize actionable good practices for deployment.
• Deliver toolkits (checklists, scorecards, templates, communication assets) that support internal alignment, decision-making, and business case development.

Deliverables

• A comprehensive research report: “AI and AR Glasses for the Enterprise,” including definitions, taxonomy, prioritized use cases, technical patterns, and impact analysis.
• An executive summary (5-7 pages) for senior leaders, focusing on business outcomes, risks, and a decision guide for AI and AR glasses.
• An “AI and AR Glasses Evaluation Toolkit” comprising checklists, scorecards, and templates for use case matching, device comparison, and pilot planning.
• A structured, updateable “Enterprise AI and AR Glasses Landscape” catalogue with at-a-glance comparison tables for AREA members.
• A communication and adoption package, including a slide deck, diagrams, and use-case-focused one-pagers for internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• AREA members only webinar

Proposal

This research will be conducted in three phases:

1. 1. Phase 1 – Define the category and research scope

      • Scan the current market and product landscape for AI and AR glasses
      • Develop a practical taxonomy (device category name, form factors, core functions, AI capabilities, enterprise readiness)
      • Validate definitions and scope with AREA members through interviews or workshops

   2. Phase 2 – Discover use cases and requirements

      • Interview and survey AREA members on current, planned, and desired uses
      • Identify, group, and prioritize high-value, repeatable use cases
      • For the top use cases, document using the outline provided in the AREA use case page, adding context, constraints, required device and AI capabilities, integration patterns, and success measures

   3. Phase 3 – Analysis, tools, and validation

      • Analyze potential issues, including (but not exclusive to) security, privacy, policy, and workforce implications and synthesize practical good practices
      • Map and structure the enterprise AI and AR glasses vendor/device landscape using the agreed taxonomy
      • Build and refine toolkits (evaluation scorecards, checklists, templates, decision guides) and validate them with AREA members through review sessions or workshops

Results will be analyzed and shared with AREA members through written reports, toolkits, and summary presentations.

Selection Criteria

This research initiative should be selected for its potential to:

• Provide a neutral, structured foundation (taxonomy, definitions, and tools) that the wider enterprise AR ecosystem can adopt and reuse.
• Unlock scalable, high-value use cases for AI and AR glasses by grounding recommendations in real enterprise needs rather than vendor marketing.
• Reduce risk and accelerate alignment across IT, operations, security, HR, and frontline stakeholders through practical guidance on security, privacy, and workforce impact.
• Strengthen AREA’s role as a trusted authority by delivering reusable toolkits, comparisons, and decision guides that support ongoing member decision-making.

Timeline and Deadlines

Please use the form below to submit your proposal on or before 12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, January 19, 2026. The AREA will provide detailed replies to submitters on or before January 21, 2026. The topic will be chosen by January 28, 2026. Unless otherwise negotiated in advance, the research project is expected to take approximately 120 days.

Budget for this Project

The AREA Research Committee budget for this project is $15,000.

Questions

For answers to any questions concerning this project and the AREA Research Committee, please send an email to the Research Committee.