Meta smart glasses. [Reuters]
Meta smart glasses. [Reuters]

Two test-takers have been caught using AI-equipped smart glasses to cheat on the TOEIC exam in South Korea, marking the first such case detected in the country.

According to the Korea TOEIC Committee, the two examinees were caught wearing "AI glasses" during regular TOEIC sessions held on May 10 and May 31, respectively.

Both were confirmed to have worn the smart glasses at the test venue and were flagged for cheating. Their scores were invalidated, and they are barred from taking the TOEIC for the next four years.

A Korea TOEIC Committee official said proctors flagged the suspected wearers near the start of each exam. "We verified the facts after the exam ended so as not to disrupt other test-takers, and then confirmed the violations," the official said.

AI glasses are smart devices equipped with cameras, microphones and generative AI technology. Some models can photograph a subject, analyze the image with AI, and relay information to the wearer through a lens display or built-in speaker; real-time translation is also available on certain products — capabilities that have raised serious concerns about potential misuse in exams.

The latest AI glasses closely resemble ordinary eyewear, making them difficult to identify with the naked eye.

In response, the Korea TOEIC Committee has stepped up training for proctors on how to detect AI glasses and is working on broader countermeasures.

Education authorities are grappling with the same issue. The Ministry of Education already bans all electronic devices from College Scholastic Ability Test venues, meaning AI glasses cannot be brought in. The ministry is nonetheless reportedly considering explicitly listing AI glasses among prohibited items.

Meanwhile, the AI glasses market is expanding rapidly as global technology companies enter the space.

Meta's AI glasses made their official debut in South Korea last month, and Samsung Electronics recently unveiled its own AI glasses, developed with Google, in the United States. In November last year, Chinese tech giant Alibaba also launched AI glasses, joining the race for dominance in the market.

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