The Office for Students (OfS) warned that the prolific use of artificial intelligence in essays, dissertations, and open-book exams is threatening the credibility of university degrees in England. An investigation conducted by the OfS and the charity Advance HE found that students reported peers boasting about using AI undetected to complete assignments. The report, which surveyed more than 300 students and staff across 127 institutions, noted that some students can complete assessments in a few minutes and receive grades comparable to those who did not use the technology.
Josh Fleming, the director of strategy and delivery at the OfS, stated that AI use "presents a generational risk to the system as it stands, threatening to undermine students’ learning and institutions’ ability to assess them." Fleming urged the sector to implement far greater use of AI-free assessments to mitigate these risks. The regulator cautioned that higher education institutions failing to develop reliable measures to combat AI misuse could breach registration conditions and face sanctions.
Academics interviewed for the report described receiving numerous submissions that shared identical writing styles and referenced the same literature. One staff member told researchers that pervasive AI use may render the assessment of students "close to impossible" in certain areas, while another academic noted that coursework is now often written partially or exclusively with AI assistance. Some students reported that peers were unable to recall basic details about assessments they had recently submitted.
To combat these issues, many institutions are redesigning assessment methods to include in-person written exams or oral examinations known as vivas. Other strategies include process-based assessments, where students must detail their research methods, or tasks requiring students to critique AI-generated output. A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the government expects universities to take the issue seriously and expects the OfS to ensure its regulatory framework remains strong and durable regarding AI use.
