Turkish authorities have arrested a student for using artificial intelligence to cheat during a university entrance exam.
The incident, which took place over the weekend in the southwestern province of Isparta, tells us about the increasing sophistication of AI-based cheating methods and the ongoing struggle to prevent them.
Student Arrested for Using AI to Cheat University Entrance Test
Reuters reports that the student was detained by police after being spotted behaving suspiciously during the exam. Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that the student was using a makeshift device linked to AI software to receive answers in real-time.
The device involved a camera disguised as a shirt button connected to AI software via a router hidden in the sole of the student's shoe. This high-tech cheating scheme allowed the student to receive the correct answers through an earpiece.
Turkish authorities apprehended a student who utilized AI technology to cheat during a university entrance exam, raising alarm bells about the increasing use of AI in academic fraud.Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash
How the Elaborate Cheating Scheme Worked
A video released by the police demonstrated the method used by the student. The police officer in the video scanned a question, and the AI software quickly generated the correct answer, which was then recited through the earpiece.
Another individual who was aiding the student in this cheating endeavor was also detained. This person's role in the scheme has not been fully detailed.
This incident is not an isolated one. Similar cases of AI-assisted cheating have been reported globally, raising concerns about the ethical use of technology in education.
For instance, in February 2023, a student in an AI ethics class at Santa Clara University in the United States admitted to using OpenAI's ChatGPT to complete a written assignment.
In response, a university professor decided to replace essay assignments with live presentations to mitigate such cheating attempts.
AI in Education
A visitor watches an AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign on an animated screen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona. JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images
A visitor watches an AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign on an animated screen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, a UK-wide study conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) in February 2024 revealed that 53% of students use AI for essays and other graded materials.
The study, which surveyed over 1,250 students, found that while many students use AI tools to understand concepts better (36%), a significant number also use them for test preparation (53%). Furthermore, 13% of students admitted to editing AI-generated content before submission.
The same study showed that only 3% of students believe using AI-generated text without editing is acceptable, while 66% think it is acceptable to use AI to explain concepts.
Additionally, 54% of students consider it acceptable to use AI for suggesting research topics. Despite these attitudes, 65% of students believe their universities can detect AI-generated work, indicating a need for clear policies and robust detection mechanisms.
