Suspecting AI cheating, Ivy League prof ordered an in-person final; scores fell 50%
TLDR
Roberto Serrano, an economics professor at Brown University, suspected students were using AI to cheat on take-home exams after the midterm average jumped to 96 out of 100 compared with his historical range of 65-80 percent. He switched the final exam to in-person format in spring 2026, and scores on that exam fell approximately 50 percent from the midterm. The dramatic drop suggests widespread AI use substituted for actual learning in the take-home format, prompting Serrano to publicize the incident through media interviews.
Why it matters
A Brown University professor suspected students were using AI on take-home exams and required an in-person final, after which 18 students dropped and 9 didn't attend. Of 27 students who had scored 96 on the midterm, the average test score plunged to 48.
