A screenshot shows AI glasses telling the wearer that the numerical answer to a geometry problem is 8, or the fourth selection in a multiple-choice list of answers.SCREEN CAPTURE
An AI-powered pair of smart glasses solved all 30 questions on a practice math test for the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test, or suneung, in 18 minutes, scoring 96 out of 100 — and a viral video of the feat has schools all across the country on edge.
The clip was posted on Saturday by Techmong, an internet technology YouTuber with 930,000 subscribers. He is seen typing a prompt into a smartphone app linked to the glasses — asking it to identify the correct answers to the questions in front of him — and then using the glasses' built-in camera to scan the test paper. Within 30 seconds, a question's answer appeared on the lenses' display. All but one question was answered correctly, with the single miss due to a scanning error. The video surpassed 600,000 views within three days.
The prospect of high-tech cheating has now become a real fear for Korean schools, with first-semester final exams just around the corner. Last month, a center for the Test of English for International Communication exam, also known as the Toeic, caught a candidate using AI glasses to cheat, setting off a fresh wave of concern.
Schools are scrambling to respond. A middle school in Gyeonggi sent parents a notice stating that smart glasses are "banned from exam rooms" and that wearing them would be "treated as cheating." A high school in Seoul held training sessions for teachers on how to identify smart glasses and manage exam rooms accordingly. "We plan on providing guidance for students on AI glasses in the near future," the school's vice principal said.
Another high school in Gyeonggi said it would ask to borrow metal detectors from the local education office — the same detectors usually lent to suneung venues on exam day. A middle school in Seoul is considering purchasing detectors outright with its own budget.
But teachers say these are stopgap measures at best.
“We are considering using the metal detectors we have for classroom use, but they cannot detect devices made of titanium or plastic," said a high school teacher in Gangwon. “For now, most AI smart glasses currently on the market can still be identified with the naked eye. But given the pace of technological development, it is only a matter of time before products that cannot be visually identified become available. The Ministry of Education and local education offices need to come up with more specific and effective guidelines.”
Meta's AI glasses are displayed at a Shinsegae Department Store branch in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 25.YONHAP
The education authorities, however, have so far limited their response to calls for stricter supervision. The Ministry of Education sent a circular to regional offices nationwide on June 16, urging tighter exam management. For the annual national suneung in November, the ministry said it plans to explicitly list AI glasses as a prohibited item.
On June 18, the Gyeonggido Office of Education sent schools a circular highlighting five AI glasses models currently available on the market. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education had already issued its own guidance on June 11, telling supervisors to watch for candidates whose glasses have unusually thick temples or who repeatedly touch the temple area during the exam, and to inspect their glasses immediately after any test if behavior appears suspicious.
Among teachers, frustration is growing that the authorities expect analog vigilance will be able to counter digital threats. Experts are calling for a more proactive government response.
A person tries out Meta’s AI smart glasses at a store inside Shinsegae Department Store in central Seoul on May 25, the day the products launched in Korea. Meta Platforms released its second-generation Ray-Ban Meta line, featuring a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and open-ear audio, along with two styles of Oakley Meta smart glasses that day.YONHAP
"We need educational alternatives — such as having students sign a voluntary pledge acknowledging penalties for possessing smart glasses, and strengthening punishments," said Kim Myuhng-joo, executive director of the AI Safety Research Institute and a professor in the Department of Information Security at Seoul Women's University.
"To ease the burden on teachers and reduce student anxiety caused by the rapid evolution of digital devices, we need systematic procedures — such as requiring supervisors to directly inspect the glasses of any student wearing them before and after the exam — along with clear, practical administrative guidelines that can actually be applied in the field," said Park Ju-hyung, a professor at Gyeongin National University of Education.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
