College Students, Instructors Expect More Cheating Due to AI: Report

College students and instructors alike say cheating is on the rise — and many of them blame artificial intelligence (AI) for that increase.

A Wiley survey of more than 2,000 students and 850 college instructors found that almost all instructors, 96%, believe at least some of their students cheated in the past year. That’s a major increase from 72% in a 2021 Wiley survey.

Students also said they thought cheating was on the rise. Roughly 30% of surveyed students said there’s more cheating now than last year, and another 23% said there’s significantly more.

Professors and students alike expect more cheating over the next three years.

Thirty-seven percent of student respondents said there will be more students cheating in the next three years, with another 18% expecting significantly more. Thirty-nine percent of professors said there will be more students cheating, with another 16% saying there will be significantly more.

While 56% of instructors said generative AI tools had no impact on academic integrity over the past year, many respondents feel that could change over the next three years.

Fifty-three percent of instructors said AI will negatively impact academic integrity over the next three years, with an additional 15% saying it will have a significantly negative impact.

That’s a major increase from the 33% who said AI has already had a negative impact on academic integrity and the 7% who said it has already had a significantly negative impact.

Students said it was easier to cheat due to generative AI tools and ChatGPT, although many also said more in-person classes and exams made it harder to cheat.

Instructors pointed to the improper use of AI and easy access to technology as to why they thought there would be more cheating.

However, not all instructors think AI will forever aid in cheating. Of those who said cheating will decline, 58% said AI tools and software will make it easier to detect cheating.

Instructors are also making plans to address cheating and reduce the misuse of AI, including adding new assessments and in-person exams.

Lyssa Vanderbeek, the Wiley group vice president for courseware, said in a press release that the report also shows that many students and professors think that AI can be a helpful tool when used ethically.

“While students and instructors have a general belief that AI will be used in ways that are detrimental to academic integrity, they also seem to sense that AI can benefit learning when used the right way,” Vanderbeek said.

“These beliefs will continue to change as instructors and students gain more experience with AI and as the tools that leverage AI continue to evolve.”

David A. Rettinger, an applied professor of psychology at the University of Tulsa and co-author of the book “Cheating Academic Integrity: Lessons from 30 Years of Research,” said in the Wiley press release that professors need to be ready for AI’s impact in the classroom.

“These data drive home the need for faculty to rethink our learning outcomes, teaching strategies, and assessments,” Rettinger said.

“AI will affect every aspect of learning, and faculty must determine whether the impact is positive or negative. AI is disruptive. It is not a fad that we can ignore and hope it goes out of style.”

The Wiley findings are similar to a previous BestColleges survey, which found that 51% of students agreed that using AI tools on assignments and exams counts as cheating or plagiarism.

Most students said in that BestColleges survey that they weren’t hearing clear communication over AI rules from their schools or instructors. In fact, more than half of students said their instructors hadn’t openly discussed the use of AI tools like ChatGPT.

College instructors are using AI tools far less than their students, even as demand for AI skills is on the rise, according to the Wiley survey.

While 45% of students said they used AI tools in their classes in the past year, only 15% of college professors said the same.

Instructors were more likely to feel negative or very negative about the use of generative AI in the classroom compared with students.

Students who felt negative about AI were likely to say they felt it made it easier for students to cheat, whereas instructors were more so worried it would negatively impact critical thinking and keep students from learning skills.

Students who used AI mostly said they used it to write essays and papers, brainstorm, and get more explanations on difficult concepts. Professors who used the tools said AI helped them to create more engagement assignments, craft assessments, and create more real-world material and case studies.

That gap between students and their instructors embracing AI comes as recent college graduates say they wished they had more AI instruction during their education.

A recent Cengage report found that AI has caused many recent grads to question their career choices, with 69% saying that they needed more training on how to work with that technology.

Cengage Group CEO Michael Hansen said in a press release that the data highlighted a demand for AI skills development.

“The data supports the growing need for GenAI training and professional skills development,” Hansen said. “Given the rapid speed at which GenAI is evolving, the development of these skills must come from use, practice, and experimentation — both in the classroom and in the workplace.”

Those findings also reflected previous BestColleges reports.

A BestColleges survey of more than 1,000 current undergraduate and graduate students found that 53% of respondents were worried over the impacts of AI in the workforce, and more than a quarter even said AI’s emergence had them questioning their major.

High student demand has translated to many higher education investments in AI, even as the Wiley report shows instructors lagging behind their students.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania recently announced plans to scale up AI investments and prepare students for the future of business.

“Artificial intelligence is poised to fundamentally transform every sector of business and society, and the world needs reliable, evidence-based insights about its practical and responsible use today,” Wharton School Dean Erika James said in a press release.

Many schools have integrated AI tools into their curriculum and coursework. The University of Michigan, for instance, launched several AI tools for students.

Other schools, like the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, have launched full-on AI degrees for students. Arizona State previously launched the inaugural higher education partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

Even as AI skills are increasingly in demand, human skills like problem-solving remain at the forefront for employers.

A recent Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey found that, while corporate recruiters expect AI to increase in importance over the next few years, human skills will remain key.