[Edaily Reporter KIM EUNG-YEOL ] As middle and high schools prepare to administer first-semester final exams between the end of this month and early July, concerns are mounting that students may use artificial intelligence (AI) smart glasses to cheat.

The Ministry of Education and city and provincial offices of education have instructed schools to classify AI glasses as prohibited items in exam rooms and to conduct verification procedures after exams if there is suspicion that a student has used them. However, teachers are concerned that not only are AI glasses difficult to identify with the naked eye, but checking whether students are wearing them could lead to complaints from parents or reports of emotional child abuse.

According to education sector sources on the 29th, the Ministry of Education sent an official letter titled “Request for Cooperation in Student Assessment Management” to the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide on the 16th, asking them to guide schools on measures to prevent exam cheating using AI glasses. In response, each education office sent official notices to schools within their jurisdictions containing instructions such as: △ including AI glasses on the list of prohibited items in exam rooms; △ closely monitoring students who frequently touch the arms of their glasses during exams; and △ verifying suspicious students immediately after the exam ends.

AI glasses are wearable AI devices in the form of eyeglasses that allow users to take photos and videos, search for information, make calls, and use automatic translation while wearing them just like regular glasses. The AI can also analyze information captured by the camera attached to the glasses and display it on the lenses. This means students could commit cheating during exams by using AI glasses to recognize questions and look up the correct answers. In fact, two instances of cheating involving AI glasses were detected—one each during the TOEIC exams held on the 10th and 31st of last month.

It is the responsibility of teachers serving as proctors to check whether students are using AI glasses during exams. However, teachers complain that it is difficult to identify students suspected of wearing AI glasses.

This is because AI glasses look similar to regular glasses, making them hard to distinguish. Choi Seo-jin (pseudonym), a teacher at a high school in Gyeonggi Province, said, “AI glasses look similar to the fashion glasses students wear, so it’s hard to tell the difference just by looking at them.”

Teachers are also concerned that attempting to verify whether students are wearing AI glasses could lead to complaints from students and parents or even reports of emotional abuse. Lee Seong-hyeok (pseudonym), a teacher at a high school in Busan, said, “If I suspect a student is wearing AI glasses and check only to find they are ordinary glasses, there is a high likelihood of complaints such as, ‘Why did you suspect my child and prevent them from concentrating on the exam?’” He added, “It is a considerable burden for schools to check whether students are wearing AI glasses during exams.”

The burden on teachers is expected to grow even heavier in the future. This is because a wider variety of AI glasses products are scheduled to be released in the second half of the year. SamsungElectronics(005930)is expected to launch AI glasses in the second half of the year, and Apple is also expected to unveil glasses-style AI wearable devices next year. If AI glasses become mainstream, the likelihood of many students entering classrooms wearing them will increase.

Teachers are increasingly calling for safeguards to protect them from complaints and reports of child abuse, arguing that such measures are necessary to effectively address student cheating involving AI glasses.

Jang Seung-hyuk, a spokesperson for the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA), emphasized, “If legal safeguards for teachers are put in place, the likelihood of receiving complaints or reports of emotional abuse while checking whether students are wearing AI glasses will be significantly reduced,” adding, “We need a system that guarantees teachers’ right to properly guide students.”

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, “Since AI glasses are classified as electronic devices, just like smartphones, we have instructed local education offices to notify students and parents that they are not permitted in exam rooms.” The official added, “If exams are supervised in accordance with the guidelines prohibiting electronic devices, it should not place a significant burden on teachers.” The official continued, “We will monitor whether cases of cheating involving AI glasses occur in schools and review additional measures accordingly.”