AI Smart Glasses Rentals Are Helping Students Cheat on Their Exams

Students in China are renting AI-equipped smart glasses to cheat on exams, and schools are reportedly struggling to keep up. These glasses look like traditional eyeglasses but have hidden cameras, mics, and even tiny displays that can help them cheat. Students can glance at exam questions, send them to an AI assistant, and read or hear responses, per a Gizmodo story published Monday.

A small rental economy has formed around these gadgets, with one student saying that she uses smart glasses to avoid failing tough subjects and also rents them to classmates. A businessman told Gizmodo that he has rented different AI glasses to more than 1,000 people in just a few months, and many of them were students who used them in exams. Prices typically range from $6 to $12 per day.

The devices include models like Ray‑Ban Meta and Chinese brands like Rokid. Students claim proctors often do not recognize them as smart devices, especially in crowded exam halls.

Using smart wearables to cut corners isn't new: Over the past few years, people around the world have reportedly been caught cheating on driving tests, English proficiency exams, and other crucial benchmarks using hidden earpieces. But as smart glasses become more common, schools and government agencies will likely become more aware of how they might sneak into sensitive spaces.