Schools across San Diego County are increasingly confronting the challenge posed by AI-powered smart glasses — wearable devices capable of recording video and audio, running facial recognition, and whispering answers into a student's ear — with little existing policy to govern them.

Meta announced in January 2026 that it planned to potentially double production of its Ray-Ban AI glasses by year's end. While the technology offers potential benefits for accessibility and language translation, privacy advocates and educators say the glasses create serious risks in school environments. Several school districts nationally have already moved to ban or restrict the devices during instructional time.

The College Board announced a ban on smart glasses during SAT testing starting in March 2026, citing concerns about AI assistants providing test answers via an earpiece. Some universities have issued safety warnings after incidents of individuals using the glasses to record others without consent, including in private areas such as locker rooms.

For East County families, the concern extends beyond academic cheating. Reports from East County Magazine indicate that some immigrant and first-generation students fear the glasses could be used for surveillance by law enforcement, given that Customs and Border Protection and ICE agents have been seen using Meta's Ray-Ban devices with potential facial recognition capabilities.

As the technology becomes more discreet and widely available, school districts and lawmakers may need to update device policies, academic integrity standards, and privacy protections to keep pace.