While companies like Apple, Meta, and Google compete to lead the smart glasses and extended reality market, a Chinese startup is taking a very different approach.

Monako has unveiled Monako Glass, a device it describes as the world's first wearable Linux computer built into a pair of glasses. Unlike most current wearables, it is not designed for photography, entertainment, or social media, but for developers, researchers, and advanced AI users.

Weighing just 48 grams, the glasses feature a camera, speakers, display, and a custom Linux-based operating system called MonoOS. According to the company, the device can run lightweight applications locally and work with AI tools such as Claude Code and Codex through voice commands, gestures, and an always-available visual interface.

The concept reflects a growing trend across the XR industry: the convergence of artificial intelligence and spatial computing.

Rather than relying on traditional applications, Monako envisions a future where users collaborate directly with AI agents capable of researching information, generating presentations, building tools, or even creating small applications from virtually anywhere.

Privacy is another key focus. While many smart glasses depend heavily on cloud services, Monako emphasizes local processing through Linux and MonoOS, reducing personal data exposure and addressing some of the concerns that have surrounded camera-equipped wearable devices.

For the XR industry, the significance of Monako Glass lies less in the product itself and more in the direction it represents. Until now, the market has largely been divided between immersive headsets such as Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, display glasses like XREAL, and consumer-focused AI wearables such as Ray-Ban Meta.

Monako appears to be opening a new category: smart glasses built to work alongside AI agents.

There are still questions surrounding battery life, performance, and real-world adoption, but the concept offers an intriguing glimpse into the future of wearables. If the first generation of XR devices focused on displaying digital content, the next generation may focus on enabling artificial intelligence to work continuously alongside the user.

More than a pair of smart glasses, Monako Glass presents a broader idea: turning AI into a permanent work companion, accessible anywhere without the need to open a laptop.