UC Berkeley Professor Ends Graded Homework Due to AI Cheating

A University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) professor has stopped giving his students graded homework, saying that rampant AI use has made it pointless. According to the New York Post, renowned mathematician Richard Borcherds said that it’s now nearly impossible to tell the difference between a student-written submission and one that’s been created using artificial intelligence. Because of this, he now primarily uses in-person exams with no electronic devices to grade his students and see how well they are doing in his class.

Key facts * UC Berkeley professor Richard Borcherds has ended graded homework because AI use makes it impossible to distinguish student work ^[1]. * Borcherds now uses in-person exams without electronic devices to assess student progress ^[1]. * UC Berkeley determined that AI-detection software was not reliable and now allows professors to set their own AI policies in course syllabi ^[1]. * A Brown University professor also moved to in-person final exams after students averaged 96% on take-home midterms, a significant increase from historical averages ^[1].

Why did the university change its policy? UC Berkeley decided to give professors free rein on their own AI policies after determining that AI-detection software was not reliable. The university now requires professors to spell out their specific AI rules within the course syllabi. Richard Borcherds noted that if the primary impact of AI is making it harder for teachers to grade homework, he will be "very relieved" ^[1].

How are other universities responding? A professor at Brown University transitioned to in-person final exams after observing a jump in student scores from a historical average of 65% to 80% on take-home midterms. Following the move to in-person testing, only two students achieved scores within 10% of their midterm grades, with only one student performing better ^[1].