Privacy considerations for wearable audio-visual AI in hearing aids

Recent developments in audio visual (AV) hearing aids have shown significant potential to transform how the deaf and hard of hearing community use assistive technologies. Despite this, before the devices can be adopted at scale there are several key privacy issues to consider. These devices not only affect the wearer but also the general public. With increased awareness and concerns regarding surveillance from the general public, these devices need to be developed with privacy preserving methods at the forefront of design in order to prevent social acceptance barriers to uptake. In doing so, these devices can be widely adopted and made safe for users and society.