A cheating scandal at Brown University reveals students using AI to cheat on exams. A recent survey found 29.9% of Princeton students admitted to cheating with AI.
Key facts
- •29.9 percent of Princeton students admitted to cheating with AI on at least one exam or assignment
- •Brown University economics professor Roberto Serrano allowed take-home exams for his spring 2026 section of ECON 1170
- •The course received an influx of students, with 86 students signing up
- •The average score on the midterm exam was 96 out of 100, with 40 students scoring a perfect 100
A new scandal at Brown University shows that many students are likely to cheat using generative AI. A recent survey of Princeton students found that 29.9 percent admitted to cheating with AI on at least one exam or assignment. The scandal at Brown involves a economics class with unusually high scores on a midterm exam.
By the numbers
The Scandal Unfolds
The story begins in December 2025, when a gunman attacked Brown's campus and killed two people. Shaken by the experience, blind economics professor Roberto Serrano decided to allow take-home exams for his spring 2026 section of ECON 1170. The course received an influx of students, with 86 students signing up, compared to the usual few students. The results of the midterm exam, administered on March 5, were extraordinary, with an average score of 96 out of 100. Forty students scored a perfect 100.
Historical Context
According to Serrano, the average grade in the midterm of this course has historically ranged between 65 and 80 percent. This exam was harder than the exams he wrote in the past, given that it was a take-home exam with unlimited time. Serrano has never had more than 30 students enrolled at a time, and on some occasions he had only eight.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Ars Technica.
