Top universities react to AI cheating scandals, yet concrete disciplinary steps remain elusive

gettyimagesbank

As cheating cases involving artificial intelligence (AI) continue to surface at Korea’s elite “SKY” universities — Seoul National, Korea and Yonsei — campuses are rushing to roll out countermeasures.

Most responses focus on the individual classes where misconduct occurred, exposing how far universities still are from establishing clear, campus-wide standards for online learning and AI use.

Korea University has introduced a series of anti-cheating measures for a general education course where AI-assisted misconduct was detected during last month’s midterm exam.

The university voided the course’s midterm exam after the cheating scandal surfaced.

For the upcoming final exam, the number of questions will surge from 35 to about 100, each with strict time limits to curb cheating. The university is also considering a system that randomizes question order so every student receives a different set in real time. This measure aims to block large-scale answer sharing online.

To further tighten security, the university plans to activate “Trust Lock” software that blocks screen sharing, recording and unauthorized programs, while also conducting random live monitoring throughout the exam to ensure fairness.

However, the new measures apply only to the class at the center of the controversy.

According to Korea University, it has not yet decided whether tools like the Trust Lock system will be adopted campus-wide. It also said that it is difficult to disclose details about its internal decision-making process regarding AI use and online learning policies.

An investigation into the students involved is also underway.

Korea University said its remote education center, administrative office and course instructors are investigating how many students were involved and what methods they used. Once the facts are confirmed, the university will decide whether to convene a disciplinary committee.

It remains uncertain whether any students will ultimately face punishment for cheating.

The course is a fully online general education class with more than 1,400 students, and there are over 10 open chat rooms related to that course alone. Given the anonymous nature of these chat rooms, observers say it will be nearly impossible to identify every student who took part.

The Main Building of Korea University in Seongbuk District, Seoul / Courtesy of Korea University

Yonsei University, where a separate cheating case involving AI was uncovered, has had AI use guidelines in place since last year and updated this September, according to university officials.

The guidelines outline basic principles, such as reminding students to verify facts when using generative AI. It also notes that AI may be allowed or prohibited depending on the course, instructing students to follow each course’s syllabus and policy.

However, the university acknowledged that the guidelines function more as recommended practices than enforceable rules.

Seoul National University has decided to hold a retest only for a class section where cheating was detected. The university said it found no evidence of large-scale coordinated misconduct and believes the incident was the result of individual wrongdoing.

The university noted that it has been working on AI ethics guidelines since forming a task force in August. According to a university official, the process is currently underway with active input from faculty and students, as well as consultations with outside experts.

Meanwhile, another case of collective cheating surfaced at Korea University during an online quiz held Thursday, underscoring the urgent need for clear rules.

In an engineering course, about 80 students took an online quiz. Some students discovered a loophole in the system that allowed them to submit their answers, check the results and then retake the quiz.

Some students also reportedly used generative AI tools, including ChatGPT.

“I think it’s time for universities to reach a broad agreement on how AI should be used and what its limits should be,” said Song Ki-chang, an honorary professor of education at Sookmyung Women’s University.