Richard Borcherds, a Fields Medalist and professor at UC Berkeley, has officially stopped assigning graded homework. The decision follows concerns that students are increasingly using artificial intelligence to complete assignments, making it impossible to distinguish between original work and AI-generated content.
Borcherds noted that online assessments have become ineffective, as evidenced by a significant rise in average scores. He argued that grading AI-produced answers is a waste of time and resources, while also penalizing students who complete their work honestly. Consequently, he has shifted to offline examinations where electronic devices are prohibited.
While UC Berkeley previously evaluated AI detection software, the university concluded that such tools lack sufficient reliability. The administration has delegated the authority to set AI usage policies to individual professors, requiring only that these rules be clearly outlined in course syllabi.
