"Hey Meta," Sohn Sukhee Calls... AI Glasses Raise Alarm Ahead of CSAT

Concerns Over Misuse of AI Glasses Discussed on MBC Radio
Candidate Caught Switching Glasses During Essay Exam
Expert: "Like Smartwatches, They Should Be Subject to Restrictions"

With just over 20 days to go before the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), concerns have been raised that AI glasses could be used to cheat on the exam.

Choi Hyungwook, CEO of technology strategy consulting firm Future Designers, appeared on MBC Radio's "Sohn Sukhee's 12 O'Clock" on October 28 and said, "In countries like China and Japan, people have actually worn them into exam rooms and used them to solve test questions." He added, "Their answer rate was actually over 60%."

AI Glasses That Link to Smartphones and Answer by Voice

Host Son Seokhee wearing Meta AI glasses on MBC Radio's "Son Seokhee's 12 O'Clock" on the 28th. YouTube

During the broadcast, host Sohn Sukhee borrowed Choi's glasses and tried them on. Sohn asked, "Hey Meta, how high is the KOSPI currently?" but the glasses could not answer right away. Choi said, "The glasses don't work on their own; they're linked to my smartphone," adding, "I left my smartphone outside." The glasses gave a spoken answer only after the production team brought in the smartphone.

AI glasses receive information through a camera and microphone built into the frames. The AI on a linked smartphone processes that information and delivers answers through the glasses' speakers. Some models with displays can also show information in front of the wearer's eyes. When taking photos or videos, an LED indicator lights up to signal that recording is in progress.

Asked whether they could be distinguished from regular glasses in an exam room, Choi replied, "If you look closely, you can tell they're smart glasses." Sohn responded, "I can't tell right now." Choi stressed, "Until last year's CSAT, cheating with AI glasses was not even recognized as a possibility," adding, "There's no doubt that AI glasses are now a device that should be subject to restrictions, just like smartwatches." He suggested, "It may be necessary to inspect them alongside smartwatches and require students to wear different glasses when they enter."

Workarounds to evade monitoring are already known. Choi said, "In China, the LED is supposed to turn on when you take a photo, but stickers that cover it are sold," adding, "Companies like Meta are releasing technical patches that prevent the glasses from working if a sticker is attached." Sohn expressed concern that secretly taking photos could also lead to illegal filming. Choi replied, "Taking photos is possible with countless devices, not just glasses. Technological safeguards are necessary, but I think public awareness is also very important."

Choi predicted that AI glasses would develop into "spatial computing" devices. He explained, "Spatial computing means using space as a computer. You can turn a keyboard into a virtual object and work directly with it, or even work directly in midair." He added, "The positive aspects have always outweighed the negative ones." He continued, "We shouldn't give up making soy paste just because we're afraid of maggots." He added, "Ultimately, every technology has always advanced through balance and checks and balances."

Cheating Detected Overseas and in Domestic University Entrance Essay Exams

Meta's AI glasses. Official website

Cheating with AI glasses first came to light overseas. In Japan, a student was caught cheating with smart glasses during Waseda University's entrance exams in 2024. In Taiwan, a candidate wearing AI glasses was caught during National Taiwan University's entrance exam in May, and received a score of zero for that subject. Foreign media have reported cases in China of university students renting AI glasses for exams for 40 to 60 yuan a day (approximately 8,000 to 12,000 won). In June, ahead of China's university entrance exam, the Gaokao, the Ministry of Education said that bringing smart glasses into an exam room would be considered cheating, regardless of whether they were used. Local education authorities in Guangdong and Hubei provinces instructed exam officials to inspect candidates' glasses separately during security checks.

Cheating has also been detected at domestic university entrance essay exams. On October 3, at the University of Seoul's essay exam for natural sciences, a candidate who had been wearing regular glasses during ID checks switched to smart glasses after the exam began and was caught. The University of Seoul removed the candidate from the exam and barred them from taking its exams for the next three years. Yonsei University also caught a candidate switching glasses in the same way during its mathematics essay exam on October 10 and disqualified them. Yonsei had introduced a procedure this year requiring proctors to check each candidate's glasses before the exam, but the candidate was found to have changed glasses after the inspection was over.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation has listed smart glasses as a prohibited item in its detailed plan for the 2027 CSAT. If a candidate is caught wearing AI glasses during the exam, it will be treated as cheating regardless of whether the glasses' functions were used, and the candidate will be barred from taking this year's and next year's CSAT. Even if the glasses are not worn, bringing them into the exam room without handing them over to a proctor, or refusing to have them inspected, may be considered cheating.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.