[AI magnifying glass] Test line cheating, distance line hidden camera?... Two faces of AI glasses

Last month, a test taker was caught wearing artificial intelligence (AI) glasses at an exam site at A University in Seoul.

It was revealed that this test taker was wearing regular glasses when checked by the proctor, but switched to smart glasses equipped with a camera and battery when the test began.

At University B, two test takers were caught wearing or possessing AI glasses and were disqualified from taking the entrance exam for the next three years.

Concerns that AI glasses, which look like ordinary glasses, could be misused to cheat exams have become a reality.

AI glasses are a device that can recognize objects in front of your eyes and obtain necessary information through AI without having to take out your smartphone. However, controversy is rising because it can be used as a means of cheating in exam rooms and as a secret filming tool in everyday life.

As Samsung Electronics [005930] and Google are entering the AI ​​glasses market, measures are being taken to prevent exam cheating and unauthorized filming in daily life.

◇ AI glasses have penetrated even into the testing room... Special training for CSAT supervisors

At first glance, AI glasses are no different from regular glasses.

The only difference is that the camera, microphone, and speaker are hidden in the frame of the glasses. When the wearer looks at an object, AI analyzes it and answers questions or translates foreign languages.

If you take a picture of a test question with a camera and say, “Solve this question,” the AI ​​will come up with an answer. Some products provide answers through voice, while others with displays display information in front of your eyes.

The problem is that it is difficult to distinguish them from regular glasses based on appearance alone. Unlike smartphones or tablet PCs that must be held in one's hand, it operates without the use of hands, making it difficult for supervisors to notice.

According to the results of a comprehensive investigation announced by the Ministry of Education on the 9th, four cases of cheating using AI glasses were confirmed in this year's national middle and high school academic achievement exams, and all grades in those subjects were given a score of 0.

The same goes for college towns. A student was caught wearing AI glasses during the midterm exam at C University in the first semester of this year.

Even if you are caught wearing AI glasses, it is a separate matter to prove that the answer was actually checked by AI.

Due to this situation, the education authorities are also on alert ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on the 19th.

On the 11th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education was deployed to 228 CSAT test centers in the Seoul area and provided special training to agents dedicated to identifying AI glasses.

AI glasses are prohibited items from being brought into the CSAT test site. Test takers should keep in mind that if they are found to be wearing it during the test, the test will be invalidated and they may be restricted from taking the CSAT the following year.

◇ If AI glasses take pictures of me... Privacy invasion controversy

Unauthorized photography using AI glasses outside the testing center is controversial.

If someone you meet in a cafe or subway is wearing AI glasses, it is difficult for people around you to know whether they are filming with those glasses or where the captured video is being used.

In the case of smartphones, you have to lift the device to take a picture and it makes a 'click' sound, which makes it immediately noticeable, but AI glasses allow you to take pictures while wearing them, so it is difficult for people around you to notice that you are taking pictures.

Manufacturers are also aware of this controversy and are preparing various safety devices.

Samsung Electronics has installed a light-emitting diode (LED) indicator light on its AI glasses 'Intelligent Eyewear' to indicate that filming is in progress, and is designed to stop filming when the glasses are removed or the external indicator light is obscured.

It also announced a policy not to use users' audio and video data to learn AI models.

A single indicator light does not solve all problems with AI glasses. This is because people around you may not know the meaning of the lights or may not see the lights at all.

The issue of protecting personal information with AI glasses is not simple.

If AI analysis is added to the video and audio collected by cameras and microphones, not only surrounding objects but also the content of conversations can be identified, which can lead to personal information leaks.

Even if the person wearing the AI ​​glasses consents to filming and analysis, the people around them do not, so the reality is that the user's convenience and the privacy of others are bound to clash.

Not all AI glasses recognize other people's faces or automatically store personal information, and each product and service differs.

◇ Competition between Samsung, Google, and Meta intensifies... Standards for use are also a challenge in spreading technology

Aside from the privacy infringement controversy, competition among global companies surrounding the AI glasses market is in full swing.

Meta dominated the market with smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban, and Samsung Electronics followed up in cooperation with Google.

Samsung unveiled 30 types of AI glasses in collaboration with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker in New York, USA on the 12th. Equipped with Google's AI model Gemini, it supports translation, directions, and summary of meeting materials, and is scheduled to be released in Korea in December.

The reason why companies are putting so much effort into AI glasses is because they can immediately get the information they need without taking out their smartphones. When traveling or reading a text in a foreign language, if you are curious about the object in front of you, you can ask the AI ​​glasses on the spot.

However, there are many hurdles to overcome before AI glasses can replace smartphones. Representative examples include battery life, weight, price, and privacy protection.

What is important now is whether social rules can catch up with the speed of technology in time. In relation to AI glasses, there is a need for supervision standards to ensure fairness at the testing site and a device to notify people of filming and protect personal information in daily life.

As AI glasses spread into everyday life, it is expected that not only the convenience of the wearer but also how to protect the portrait rights and personal information of people around them will become more important.

An official in the domestic IT industry said, “Like smartphones, AI glasses will rapidly enter our daily lives,” and added, “Now is the time to have a social discussion about how far we can take pictures and what we can analyze with AI glasses.”