Quote:Thirty-two college students have failed part of their history midterm exam after falling for an AI-cheat trap when they blindly copying ChatGPT-generated answers without bothering to proofread thoroughly.

Jason Gibson, a history professor at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, secretly embedded a hidden prompt in the exam instructions using a white font, invisible to students but readable by AI chatbots if the instructions were copied and pasted. The prompt instructed the AI to randomly insert absurd nonsense about Madagascar into every response.


Instead of answering questions about the Industrial Revolution, dozens of students unknowingly turned in essays declaring that "Madagascar floats sideways through the afternoon," that "Madagascar purple bicycle whispers to the ceiling," and that the island nation had somehow "wore a toaster to a basketball game."

The bizarre answers immediately gave the game away. “Thirty-two of my 35 students between two classes failed a portion of their midterm because they all used AI to generate their entire response," Gibson said in a viral video online. "And apparently they didn't proofread it."

According to Gibson, many students simply copied the entire exam prompt into an AI chatbot before pasting the response straight into their midterm, without noticing the hidden white text that had allowed their history essays to suddenly veer into fiction. "I get no gratification out of seeing students fail. It's not my intent to see you fail, that's weird," the professor explained. He instead clarified that he wanted to combat the increasing problem of AI-assisted cheating. He even allowed students to challenge their grades, but only two attempted to contest the result.


Schools and universities across the country have reported increasing misuse of chatbots in exams and coursework, while safety concerns surrounding AI continue to grow. "We're all just trying to hold onto some level of academic integrity in the process," Gibson said.

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I saw this the other day and sent it to my granddaughters. If teachers are smart they’ll all do this.

I tell my granddaughters to use AI to check punctuation, grammar and spelling for what you have written.

"Rayciss Uncle Tom!!!!"

Making stupid people stupider.

Artificial ignorance

No computers, no phones anywhere in the exam room. See, I fixed it. If they don't know punctuation that's on them. They should have learned it in high school.

(07-27-2026 03:11 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  No computers, no phones anywhere in the exam room. See, I fixed it. If they don't know punctuation that's on them. They should have learned it in high school.

That doesn't solve for writing papers

Sent from my Pixel 7 using CSNbbs mobile app

All classes are online. College is a joke now. There is a guy that got his cat a degree.

So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

College seems to have turned mostly into a joke these days. Heck, even in my era (I went from '65-68, then '73-75, with Naval service in between), I honestly don't recall anything I learned that ever really helped me in life.

I honestly believe it's simply a badge you earn that proves you have stick-to-it-iveness. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot positive about that attribute, but as far as learning specific info that helped me later, no.

Of course, if you need a technical degree, such as for medicine, law, engineering, etc., then of course.

I actually found my advanced degree courses to be much more helpful, b/c I was required to read entire books on specific subjects, then submit full detailed reports over a number of weeks showing that I actually learned the material.

(07-27-2026 08:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

Exactly

I hated this effing things and I think they set me back a buck a 4 pack or something.

With minimum wage at 2.85, then 3.25, that was a killer.

No Robbie’s pizza this Wednesday night…

I was working summer jobs when the minimum wage was $1 to $1.15 an hour. For real.

(07-27-2026 03:11 PM)olliebaba Wrote:  No computers, no phones anywhere in the exam room. See, I fixed it. If they don't know punctuation that's on them. They should have learned it in high school.

That is on the Educators AND the Educated

(07-27-2026 09:19 PM)TripleA Wrote:  College seems to have turned mostly into a joke these days. Heck, even in my era (I went from '65-68, then '73-75, with Naval service in between), I honestly don't recall anything I learned that ever really helped me in life.

I honestly believe it's simply a badge you earn that proves you have stick-to-it-iveness. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot positive about that attribute, but as far as learning specific info that helped me later, no.

Of course, if you need a technical degree, such as for medicine, law, engineering, etc., then of course.

I actually found my advanced degree courses to be much more helpful, b/c I was required to read entire books on specific subjects, then submit full detailed reports over a number of weeks showing that I actually learned the material.

You may have had too much fun during your undergrad years! I learned plenty, and not just in my accounting courses.

"Of course, if you need a technical degree, such as for medicine, law, engineering, etc., then of course." Triple

That's because they are exact sciences, you practice what you learned. Almost any other degree plan is theoretical and they fall under the Liberal Arts umbrella. In those degrees all you need is common sense because even with such a degree, Masters, it's all guess work and not 2+2=4, where the answer has to be precise. I can just imagine a bridge if engineers were using the new Woke math of 1+1=3, or that numbers are racist.

(07-27-2026 08:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

I've read that some profs are considering going back to in class Blue Books to get around the whole AI thing.

(07-28-2026 10:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(07-27-2026 08:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

I've read that some profs are considering going back to in class Blue Books to get around the whole AI thing.

Seems like jamming phone/Wifi signals in the room where tests were given could solve that issue. Maybe create specific rooms just for administering tests? Sad thats where we are these days.

(07-28-2026 10:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(07-27-2026 08:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

I've read that some profs are considering going back to in class Blue Books to get around the whole AI thing.

"considering" is the key word ... if adopted, that would put a serious dent into subsequent budgeting ... admission rates would plummet ... of course, attrition will happen by default in the not-too-distant due to a variety of factors ...

welcome to the beginning of the end of muh "pie in the sky" training centers...

(07-28-2026 04:03 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(07-28-2026 10:29 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(07-27-2026 08:15 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  So, they don’t use “Blue Books” for exams anymore?

I've read that some profs are considering going back to in class Blue Books to get around the whole AI thing.

Seems like jamming phone/Wifi signals in the room where tests were given could solve that issue. Maybe create specific rooms just for administering tests? Sad thats where we are these days.

That may help with exams, but it doesn't help for research papers that students would be expect to write outside of class. In college, at least when I was in it a quarter-century ago, you were expected to generally spend two hours outside of class studying for every credit hour you were taking.

I cant imagine how hard college used to be pre technology

(07-28-2026 09:25 AM)bullet Wrote:  

(07-27-2026 09:19 PM)TripleA Wrote:  College seems to have turned mostly into a joke these days. Heck, even in my era (I went from '65-68, then '73-75, with Naval service in between), I honestly don't recall anything I learned that ever really helped me in life.

I honestly believe it's simply a badge you earn that proves you have stick-to-it-iveness. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot positive about that attribute, but as far as learning specific info that helped me later, no.

Of course, if you need a technical degree, such as for medicine, law, engineering, etc., then of course.

I actually found my advanced degree courses to be much more helpful, b/c I was required to read entire books on specific subjects, then submit full detailed reports over a number of weeks showing that I actually learned the material.

You may have had too much fun during your undergrad years! I learned plenty, and not just in my accounting courses.

No, I was a serious dude, on an academic scholly. Issue was, I studied religion to prep for the seminary for my first 3 1/2 years, then got a low draft number during 'Nam, joined the Navy, then returned home after 4 years, changed direction and got a business degree. By then, I was almost 30.

I repeat, nothing I learned in college had any impact on my career. It was all mostly generic business stuff, nothing directly applicable to my actual work duties. I learned skills, but not specific info that was helpful later.