AI cheating suspected as Brown University grades drop in closed-book exam

Professor Roberto Serrano at Brown University noticed unusually high midterm exam scores from students who took the test at home. When he switched the final to a closed-book, in-person format, grades dropped sharply. The midterm was moved online after a campus shooting last December. Serrano suspects students used AI to cheat, saying the technology makes it almost cost-free to do so. Many top-scoring students either skipped the final or saw their grades fall from over 90 to around 50. Brown University is now investigating. The case has sparked discussions online, including from Paul Graham and Google DeepMind employees, about whether graduates can be trusted in the workplace. Serrano plans to stop offering take-home exams and urges other teachers to rethink their AI policies.