Meta AI Glasses by Ray-Ban make it easier than ever to cheat during a test, and that is starting to alarm schools like Bishop Kenny.
The glasses look like a regular pair of glasses, but can capture photos and videos, call, text and interact with Meta AI assistance hands-free, compromising testing environments.
Unlike iPhones or Apple Watches, Meta Glasses discreetly blend into everyday attire. The voice-activated features “deliver sound only you can hear,” according to Ray-Ban’s website.
Some of the more expensive glasses also have displays on the lens. So in theory, a student could have their math problem solved in front of them without ever looking at a phone or a screen. This is what makes the glasses innovative, but risky.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Dean of Students Laurie Wray says she “made the staff aware,” about the potential threat of Meta glasses.
These glasses can not only answer the questions on a test, but also record it, which is a “major violation against the Honor Code,” Wray said.
Meta glasses can also be a powerful tool for creativity and learning when they are used properly. They allow for hands-free assistance, enhanced navigation and can even be an aid to the visually impaired.
Cheating with AI is not just about breaking the rules, it is about the purpose of the test and education overall. When students rely on technology to complete assignments, they lose opportunities to build real understanding. Over time, this creates gaps in knowledge and weakens the trust between students and their teachers, which “undermines educational and social-emotional development,” according to nonprofit news organization The74million.org.
Unfortunately, the potential for cheating is too tempting, which is why schools like BK must create rules against them.
“[Meta glasses are] a threat to academic integrity,” Wray said.
Understanding how the Meta AI device works and raising awareness for how it can harm the user and others is the administration’s ultimate goal, not to stop the next step in technology.
