I wouldn’t say there are a ton of killer use cases for smart glasses yet, but if there are any, they’re not what most would classify as being above board. So far, they’ve proved great for recording people discreetly, helping people get unethically coached in court, and, if a recent report is any indication, for academic cheating.
According to a report from Rest of the World, students in China are using AI smart glasses from brands like Meta and Rokid to gain an edge on tests. The potential of smart glasses to answer quiz questions is so appealing that it’s apparently created its own rental market as well.
One anonymous student quoted by the non-profit publication claims that not only does she use smart glasses to occasionally cheat on exams, but she also “rents” them to other students looking to do the same. Likewise, a businessman interviewed by Rest of World, who rents AI smart glasses made by Rokid and Alibaba, says that among the demographics looking to use them are “students who need the glasses for exams.” The source reportedly advertises the smart glasses as being able to answer English and math questions on popular social media sites in China. Prices for rentals reportedly range between $6 and $12 per day, depending on the model.
As the publication notes, AI smart glasses like the ones being rented are explicitly banned while taking both college entrance exams and civil service exams, but since many pairs are difficult to recognize, students say they get away with wearing them during testing anyway. It’s a familiar story at this point.
In the U.S., though plenty of institutions, like courts and overseers of standardized tests like the College Board, have banned smart glasses, enforcement remains a tall order. As I’ve pointed out many times before, smart glasses are hard to recognize. While some have an obvious camera, like the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses or the Meta Ray-Ban Display, other pairs, like those made by Even Realities, don’t have any of the giveaways aside from a small display in the lens that can be hard to see unless you’re looking for it.
That’s all to say that even if someone is actively screening for smart glasses before exams or entering sensitive places like a courtroom or a locker room, for example, the person screening for products needs to know exactly what to look for. And whether people have the will and the knowledge to screen that heavily remains to be seen. So, I guess if you’re determined to use smart glasses to cheat on exams or gain a competitive edge, now is a perfect time to do so, even if teachers and institutions are starting to get wise.
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