AI has turned university assessments into a ‘wicked problem’ – and we don’t have all the answers

Résumé détaillé

Unis must ensure degrees demonstrate students’ learning, rather than how well they’ve used artificial intelligence. But it’s an ongoing challenge.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, there have been rising concerns about university assessments. Are we testing students’ learning? Or simply their ability to use generative AI?

Universities and teachers have been working hard to reform assessments to ensure degrees still genuinely demonstrate students’ knowledge and skills. But it’s an ongoing challenge for the sector.

In July, the US software company Turnitin published a report showing nearly 54% of Australian uni students’ submissions, processed through its system from October 2025 to April 2026, showed some form of AI use. About 10% of these submissions contained more than 80% material generated by AI.

But the presence of AI in assessments doesn’t automatically mean all students who use it are cheating.

Students may use AI selectively in their work. For example, by asking it to help develop an idea, edit a sentence, improve a draft, or provide feedback on an argument.

Many students also use AI to support their assessments well before they start writing. As part of research I conducted with colleagues in 2024, we interviewed 24 students to find out how they use AI to assist with reading academic texts. We found more than half of students used AI to summarise texts, clarify difficult readings and check their interpretations.

One of the biggest challenges is the line between appropriate and inappropriate AI use can differ between assessments and might also change for each student even within the same assessment.

Australian universities have a regulatory requirement to ensure assessments can confirm students have achieved the knowledge and skills their courses require. Universities’ approaches in how to go about this have differed in recent years.

An influential response is the University of Sydney’s “two-lane approach”, with variations now used at many Australian universities.

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