AI makes it 'close to impossible' to assess university coursework,regulator says

England’s Office for Students warns that widespread generative AI use threatens both student learning and the credibility of university degrees because conventional coursework may no longer reliably show what students know or can do. Its investigation, conducted with Advance HE, drew on interviews with more than 300 students and staff across 127 universities and colleges. Students described peers using AI to complete assignments rapidly, earning good grades without detection, and sometimes being unable to explain work they had submitted. Academics reported batches of submissions with similar writing, sources and ideas, and questioned whether some assessments remained fit for purpose.

The regulator says universities must provide valid and reliable ways to assess students or risk breaching registration conditions and facing sanctions. It urges much greater use of AI-free assessment, including traditional in-person exams, oral examinations and presentations. Other approaches include asking students to document their research and drafting process, critique AI-generated material, or use AI in controlled assessments. Universities UK says many institutions have already changed their assessment practices, though more work is needed. The Department for Education expects the regulator to enforce existing standards and clarify rules on AI. The OfS also recognizes AI’s potential benefits, but argues institutions must adapt quickly enough to protect learning and trustworthy assessment.