AI and cheating: classroom exams cannot be seen as a substitute for home exams

Since the launch of Chat GPT, the issue of AI and cheating has been on the agenda within the university. Especially in the humanities and social sciences, where take-home exams are common, discussions have begun about replacing take-home exams with classroom exams. In some departments and programs, this has already become a reality and is expected to become so in more.  

Uppsala Student Union is concerned about this development. Uppsala University should handle the situation carefully and not make hasty decisions that drastically change education. AI is here to stay and should therefore be handled with long-term solutions that are sustainable over time. Uppsala Student Union's opinion program states that the forms of examination during an education should be varied. If take-home exams were to be replaced by classroom exams, the forms of examination would instead become more monotonous. Nor can the classroom exam be seen as a simple replacement for the home exam. The focus and structure of the program should continue to be decisive in the choice of examination form. 

Uppsala Student Union believes that there are other, more sustainable solutions to address the perceived risk of increased cheating in take-home exams. Informing new students about what is misleading in exams is just one example. Similarly, the requirement to cite sources is an important tool to counter cheating. Students need to carefully cite sources with page numbers and combine multiple sources in the same assignment. At present, this skill is something that AI cannot replace. Uppsala University should also review the way in which take-home exams are used. Instead of piling up facts, take-home exams should be used to demonstrate the student's ability to analyze and reflect, something that AI lacks the ability to do.

Uppsala Student Union would also like to underline that the vast majority of students do not cheat, nor do they want to. It is essential that this issue is handled responsibly and with great care to continue to ensure high quality education.