SEOUL — Authorities across East Asia are tightening examination security after recent cases of students using AI-powered smart glasses to cheat, highlighting growing challenges to test integrity in a region where high-stakes exams shape academic and career futures.
South Korea reported its first confirmed incidents last month, with two test-takers caught using AI smart glasses during separate Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) exams on May 10 and May 31. The Korea TOEIC Committee invalidated their scores, according to statements from the committee.
In Taiwan, proctors at a medical school entrance exam discovered a student wearing smart glasses after noticing unusual behavior, with the device reportedly emitting heat during inspection, local reports said. In China, ahead of the national college entrance exam known as the gaokao earlier this month, education authorities in multiple provinces ordered inspections of all glasses and banned devices capable of sending or receiving information.
The incidents come as AI-enabled wearables, such as those from companies like Meta and Rokid, have become slimmer and more capable of scanning exam questions, processing them through large language models and displaying answers directly on the lenses in near real time.
"AI glasses are a viable technology for handling exams," said a researcher involved in testing at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, according to reports on demonstrations where the devices transmitted questions and generated responses.
Education officials in South Korea are now considering additional measures for the 2026 College Scholastic Aptitude Test, including enhanced proctor training to detect such devices. Chinese authorities have instructed students who wear smart glasses to switch to conventional prescription lenses for exams.
Experts warn that reported cases may represent only a fraction of the problem. Thomas Corbin, a lecturer at Deakin University in Australia who has researched AI wearables in assessments, said undetected use is likely more widespread as the technology advances.
" Wearable AI is as much of a challenge to exams as ChatGPT was to essays in 2022 and I just don't think there is any real way that we can reliably have exam practices moving forward," Corbin said.
The trend has prompted broader reviews of examination protocols. Universities and testing bodies in the region are updating rules on allowable devices, increasing physical inspections and exploring technological countermeasures, though officials acknowledge the difficulty of keeping pace with rapid innovation in consumer AI hardware.
No unified regional policy has emerged, but authorities continue to emphasize that bringing any information-transmitting device into exam venues constitutes cheating. As smart glasses integrate more advanced AI capabilities, education ministries face ongoing pressure to safeguard the fairness of tests that determine university admissions and job prospects for millions of students.
Further updates to security guidelines are expected in the coming months ahead of major national exams.
