Study Finds 9 Percent of Students Admit Submitting AI-Generated Work

U.S. research universities admitted submitting AI-generated coursework when doing so may not have been permitted. U.S. bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields.

AI use was highest in quantitative disciplines such as computer science, business, and economics. Two-thirds of all respondents said they used generative AI at least once during the 2023-24 academic year. Among students who reported daily AI use, 26 percent said they had submitted AI-generated work when it may not have been allowed.

Kizilcec, associate professor of information science at Cornell University and a study coauthor, said the results indicate that greater daily use correlates with higher rates of unauthorized submission. Kizilcec stated that the findings raise questions about how colleges measure learning and whether degrees continue to signal competence to employers.

Several universities have adjusted assessment practices. Princeton University faculty voted earlier this month to require proctors for in-person exams beginning July 1, ending a 133-year practice of unsupervised testing. Other institutions are testing handwritten essays, in-class examinations, and oral assessments that require students to explain their reasoning in real time.

Kizilcec said many course syllabi currently offer either broad permission or outright bans with little middle-ground instruction. The study recommends that colleges provide clearer, course-specific rules on acceptable AI uses such as brainstorming or editing, and expand faculty training on the technology’s capabilities and limits.