AI is generational risk for higher education, threatens credibility of degrees, regulator says

Artificial intelligence is transforming many professions, especially knowledge-based work. Young students tend to adopt new technology first, and AI was no exception for them. So much so that professors at universities in England say it has become “close to impossible” for them to assess coursework.The Guardian has reported that the Office for Students (OfS) said the credibility of degrees from England’s universities is under threat and it is because of the increased use of AI in homework and assignments including writing dissertations and open-book exams. The use of AI among students also seems to be becoming a matter of boasting within their circle particularly when teachers are unable to detect it.According to Josh Fleming, the OfS’s director of strategy and delivery, AI use in higher education “presents a generational risk to the system as it stands, threatening to undermine students’ learning and institutions’ ability to assess them.” He added that the sector needs to see “far greater efforts to tackle these risks, including far greater use of AI-free assessment.” Failure to do so may lead to sanctions.Fleming also acknowledged that the situation is new for both universities and the regulator. “The scale and pace of both the challenge and opportunity presents a novel challenge for the sector and us as the regulator,” he was quoted by The Guardian. AI, a challenge for universitiesThe Office for Students (OfS) interviewed more than 300 students and staff at 127 universities and colleges to understand what AI policies are and AI use in teaching and assessment. They found that AI use in student assignments is widespread; they also found that some students are using AI to write essays in minutes and still getting good grades.Universities are struggling to determine whether students actually understand what they submit. Academics say AI-generated assignments are making traditional assessments unreliable, raising concerns about academic integrity and whether degrees accurately reflect students' abilities. The OfS has called AI a “generational risk” to higher education and wants universities to use more AI-free assessments, including in-person exams, oral tests and presentations.Using AI seems to be an urgency for the students. For instance, someone who doesn’t want to use AI knows well that people who are using it in dissertations or in assignments are going to get better marks. The Guardian reported that one student told the researchers: “I’ve had people admit, peer to peer, ‘I wrote this whole essay with ChatGPT’ then they don’t get caught, they get a good grade probably, and then because it worked the first time, they do it on their next assessment.”- Ends