AI agents are sitting through students’ online courses, and colleges are struggling to stop them
AI agents are taking AI cheating to a new level by completing entire online college courses, from watching lectures and taking quizzes to writing papers and joining discussions.
The New York Times reports that AI agents have taken cheating in online college courses to the next level. These agents, given simple instructions like "log in and complete my quiz," can perform tasks within online learning platforms ranging from taking tests and writing papers to participating in discussions. This is concerning because online education is built around asynchronous, remote coursework where direct interaction with professors or classmates is often minimal.
More than half of American college students took at least one online class last year. AI companies have not prevented the agents from accessing platforms such as Canvas, Brightspace, and Blackboard, though they are researching detection methods. The challenge lies in detecting and stopping these agents, as there is currently no foolproof way to block agentic cheating.
Some educators have even requested AI companies to make their agents self-identify within online courses, but these companies have resisted due to privacy and security concerns. This leaves universities in a difficult position, as existing AI detection tools may produce errors, making it hard for professors to prove cheating while administrators may hesitate to penalize students without solid evidence.
The result is inconsistent responses, with some professors opting for in-person exams and others allowing AI use. Some educators are redesigning online courses around work that's difficult for AI to replicate, such as personal reflections and discussions about student experiences. Others are moving certain exams back to physical classrooms.
However, these measures raise a significant question about the nature of online education when AI agents can take the place of paying students. It's no longer just about whether AI can help students cheat on an assignment, but whether a student can complete an entire degree without engaging in much actual learning. This is a particularly uncomfortable problem for colleges that have argued online education can make higher education more accessible.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Trends's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
