AI smart glasses force South Korea to rewrite its exam rules

South Korea is set to revise its rules for technical qualification exams following the discovery of five candidates using AI-powered smart glasses to cheat in a span of less than three months. The incidents, reported between May and June, came to light when human resources officials submitted data to the government. In two instances, examiners detected a light or electronic sound emanating from the glasses.

Another case in Mokpo involved a candidate pressing a button on the glasses, causing a blue display to appear. In Seoul, a camera lens was embedded in the frame of a candidate's glasses during an information processing engineer exam. Ulsan authorities found a complete lens and display on a candidate's glasses. All five were penalized, with three referred to prosecutors.

The first criminal case emerged after the Gwangju incident, with a man in his forties charged under the National Technical Qualification Act. The Human Resources Development Service of Korea had recently expanded its list of banned electronic devices, allowing examiners to remove and invalidate the scores of offending candidates.

However, the Labour Ministry is planning to adopt broader language to address future technological advancements more swiftly. The changes will be announced in September and finalized within the year. Smart glasses have also caused problems in other major exams, such as English for International Communication tests in May and TOPIK exams last year.

To combat cheating, the TOPIK administrator installed radio-frequency and metal detectors in all domestic test centers, while the Education Ministry is considering additional measures. Provincial departments have also alerted schools about frequently used cheating devices and provided guidance on identifying AI glasses. A recent viral video demonstrated the potential advantage AI glasses could provide to test takers.