Canadian universities grapple with evaluating students amid AI cheating fears [Video]

Canada’s post-secondary institutions are looking for new ways to assess students as they respond to fears about AI being used to cheat on exams.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most university exams were moved online. Then came generative AI tools like ChatGPT, capable of producing essays and answering complex questions in seconds.

In the U.S., reports of rampant AI cheating led to an explosion in sales of “blue books” used for old-fashioned pen-and-paper exams this school year.

In Canada, some professors are making a similar move amid widespread reports of AI cheating, while others are testing out oral exams or finding ways to incorporate AI. Six in 10 Canadian students said they use generative AI for their schoolwork, according to an October 2024 study from KPMG in Canada.

“We are definitely in a moment of transition with a lot of our assessments,” said Karsten Mundel, co-chair of the University of Alberta’s AI Steering Committee.