Top South Korean exam scorer admits using AI to cheat

South Korean police have launched an investigation after the top scorer in a national tax accountant exam confessed to using artificial intelligence to cheat. According to the Japan Times and New Straits Times, the candidate ranked first in both rounds of the qualification exam held in April and July. The individual used a miniature camera to photograph exam questions and sent them to AI before checking the answers on a smartphone, according to a video posted on his lawyer's YouTube channel.

The candidate's score of 397.5 out of 400 points in the first round, which included only one wrong answer out of 160 questions, had previously sparked suspicions of cheating in online communities. Yonhap News reports the man admitted to cheating in both rounds of the tax exam and also used the same method during a certified public accountant exam. He stated he deeply regretted his actions and cited financial struggles following his departure from a previous job as a motivation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed the case has been assigned to investigators. Yonhap News reports that the presidential office is following the developments seriously, particularly ahead of a nationwide college entrance exam. The government has pledged zero tolerance for cheating involving AI glasses and has increased measures to detect high-tech devices at test sites.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, Japan Times, Yonhap News, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.