Another unobtrusive advantage. They're from the food industry, meant to prevent self-inflicted injuries. They're knitted from cut-resistant yarn such as Kevlar or Spectra. Note that they are not cut proof, only cut resistant, but they offer rather a tough surface to cut through. They offer no meaningful stab resistance at all. They are, though, very abrasion-resistant.
It occurred to me that such a thing could be useful in defending against a knife wielder. It would be dangerous to try to block with the gloved hand (not fully cut proof, not even a little bit stab resistant) but a parrying deflection might well succeed. At the least, the gloves would make it less risky when trying to intercept the assailant's forearm.
Just another little item that would go unnoticed at weapon-free* locations, along with your mini-Maglite ersatz kubotan or whatever artful dodges you think up.
*Meaning, of course, that only intentional malefactors have weapons there, which seems to me a poor idea.