Brown professor's AI cheating experiment shows stark grade drop

A Brown University professor's experiment has provided striking evidence of AI-driven cheating in a take-home exam. The average score dropped from 96% on the midterm to 48% on an in-person final. Source: tomshardware, thenextweb

The Experiment

Professor Roberto Serrano offered a take-home midterm after a campus shooting made students anxious. The class size ballooned from 30 to 86. The midterm average was 96%, with 40 perfect scores—far above the historical average of 65-80%. Source: tomshardware Serrano suspected AI when answers had a "very convoluted style" and matched ChatGPT outputs. Source: tomshardware

The Test

Serrano announced the final would be in-person and that he would compare results. If they matched, the midterm would count; if not, it would be voided. The response was telling:

• 18 students dropped the course, 9 skipped the final; 22 of these 27 had perfect midterm scores. Source: thenextweb
• Of the 59 who took the final, the average was 48; only two scored within 10% of their midterm, and just one improved. Source: tomshardware

Implications

Serrano estimates at least 50 students cheated. Brown is reviewing cases individually. "We cannot afford to have a society in which a significant fraction of our best young minds think that cheating is OK," he said. Source: tomshardware The incident highlights challenges universities face as AI reshapes academic integrity.