Court Chaos: Witness Uses AI Glasses to Cheat

Why It Matters

The case exposes how undetected AI wearables can undermine the integrity of testimony, prompting urgent legal and technological reforms to protect courtroom fairness.

Key Takeaways

• Witness used AI-enabled smart glasses to receive real-time coaching.
• Bluetooth glitch exposed the device, leading to courtroom scandal.
• Judge imposed indemnity costs after rejecting tainted testimony.
• Current UK security rules don’t specifically ban wearable tech in courts.
• Future AI wearables could bypass detection, threatening trial integrity.

Summary

In January 2026 a London insolvency court heard the case UAB Business Enterprise v. Ona Limited, where witness Limonus Yaktis attempted to cheat using AI‑enabled smart glasses that fed him answers in real time.

Judge Raquel Anello noticed abnormal pauses and, after barrister Sarah Walker reported audio interference, ordered the glasses removed. A Bluetooth glitch caused Yaktis’s phone to broadcast a voice, revealing an active call to a contact labeled “abracadabra.” Seized devices showed automatic reconnection and multiple call logs during testimony.

Yaktis denied the connection, absurdly blamed ChatGPT, and claimed the calls were to a taxi driver. When he returned the next day still wearing the glasses, the judge cut his video link, observed his hesitations without coaching, and ultimately rejected his evidence, imposing indemnity costs on the plaintiff.

The incident highlights a regulatory blind spot: UK courtroom security guidelines ban phones and tablets but not smart glasses, and current detection tools are scarce. As manufacturers race to embed large language models in wearables, courts risk losing the foundational premise of cross‑examination unless legislation and technical safeguards evolve.

Original Description

In a truly wild London courtroom incident from January 2026, a witness was caught using smart glasses to cheat, only to reappear with them the very next day.