AI has made it ‘close to impossible’ to assess university coursework, regulator says

England's higher education regulator, the Office for Students, has concluded that universities should return to traditional exams and in-person presentations after lecturers said AI has made it "close to impossible" to assess coursework. The OfS investigation found the credibility of degrees from England's universities is under threat from prolific AI use in essays, dissertations and "open book" exams, with students reporting that peers boasted of using AI undetected by staff.

AI has made it ‘close to impossible’ to assess university coursework, regulator says By Richard Adams Education editorSource: The Guardian Technology https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology Office for Students says institutions in England should return to traditional exams and in-person presentations Universities should go back to traditional exams and in-person presentations to grade students after lecturers complained that AI has made it “close to impossible” to assess coursework, according to an investigation by England’s higher education regulator. The Office for Students OfS said the credibility of degrees from England’s universities was under threat from the prolific use of AI in essays, dissertations and “open book” exams, with students reporting that their peers boasted of using AI undetected by staff. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/nov/11/ai-close-to-impossible-assess-university-coursework-regulator Get AI news in your inbox Daily digest of what matters in AI.