{"id":894714,"date":"2026-10-26T01:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T01:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894714\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T01:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T01:02:12","slug":"uc-berkeley-professor-refuses-to-grade-students-homework-after-spotting-surge-in-ai-usage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894714\/","title":{"rendered":"UC Berkeley professor refuses to grade students’ homework after spotting surge in AI usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

A UC Berkeley professor<\/a> has stopped grading students\u2019 homework for correctness after noticing artificial intelligence tools<\/a> were helping them rack up top marks.<\/p>\n

Richard\u00a0Borcherds,\u00a0a\u00a0renowned\u00a0mathematician\u00a0who\u00a0received\u00a0the\u00a0prestigious\u00a0Fields\u00a0Medal\u00a0in\u00a01998,\u00a0said\u00a0widespread\u00a0student\u00a0use\u00a0of\u00a0AI\u00a0has\u00a0undermined\u00a0the\u00a0value\u00a0of\u00a0traditional\u00a0homework\u00a0grading.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent\u00a0use\u00a0of\u00a0AI\u00a0for\u00a0homework\u00a0is\u00a0now\u00a0widespread,\u201d\u00a0Borcherds\u00a0told\u00a0The\u00a0California\u00a0Post.\u00a0\u201cGrading\u00a0for\u00a0correctness\u00a0just\u00a0adds\u00a0a\u00a0huge\u00a0incentive\u00a0for\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0use\u00a0AI\u00a0for\u00a0homework\u00a0instead\u00a0of\u00a0doing\u00a0it\u00a0themselves,\u00a0and\u00a0penalizes\u00a0students\u00a0for\u00a0honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Paying\u00a0graders\u00a0to\u00a0evaluate\u00a0AI generated\u00a0answers\u00a0is\u00a0also\u00a0a\u00a0waste\u00a0of\u00a0time\u00a0and\u00a0money,\u00a0he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

Borcherds\u00a0now\u00a0awards\u00a0credit\u00a0based\u00a0primarily\u00a0on\u00a0whether\u00a0students\u00a0complete\u00a0their\u00a0assignments\u00a0rather\u00a0than\u00a0whether\u00a0their\u00a0answers\u00a0are\u00a0correct,\u00a0acknowledging\u00a0that\u00a0he\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0know\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0better\u00a0solution.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0professor\u00a0said\u00a0it\u00a0has\u00a0become\u00a0increasingly\u00a0difficult\u00a0to\u00a0distinguish\u00a0work\u00a0produced\u00a0by\u00a0artificial\u00a0intelligence\u00a0from\u00a0work\u00a0written\u00a0by\u00a0students\u00a0themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no easy way to tell the difference between human and AI generated work,\u201d he told The California Post. \u201cOccasionally one could tell it is AI because AI made a few characteristic errors, but AI has now improved so much that it rarely makes obvious mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments come as AI tools grow increasingly capable of tackling complex academic problems, raising questions about how universities will assess students\u2019 work and prepare the next generation of mathematicians.<\/p>\n

Borcherds\u2019 concerns about the future of mathematics were also highlighted in an interview with the Daily Californian, UC Berkeley\u2019s student newspaper.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u00a0AI\u00a0continues\u00a0to\u00a0improve\u00a0at\u00a0present\u00a0rate,\u00a0then,\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0few\u00a0years,\u00a0there\u2019ll\u00a0be\u00a0nothing\u00a0human\u00a0mathematicians\u00a0can\u00a0do\u00a0that\u00a0AI\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0do\u00a0better,\u201d\u00a0Borcherds\u00a0told\u00a0the\u00a0paper.<\/p>\n

\"UCRichard Borcherds, a UC Berkeley professor and Fields medalist, now awards credit based on whether students complete their assignments rather than whether their answers are right. Instagram\/@quantumaths<\/p>\n

The professor expressed uncertainty about whether aspiring mathematicians should still pursue the field, saying that just five years ago, mathematics appeared to offer relatively strong protection against the technological disruption now sweeping through other professions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea what to advise. I even asked ChatGPT this exact question, and even ChatGPT said it didn\u2019t have any idea what was going to happen,\u201d he told the student newspaper.<\/p>\n

Borcherds suggested universities might not immediately adapt to rapid advances in AI, pointing to the resistance to change that often characterizes academic institutions.<\/p>\n

\"AerialBorcherds also expressed uncertainty about whether aspiring mathematicians should still pursue the field. Getty Images\/Corbis Unreleased<\/p>\n

\u201cHe predicted mathematics departments could continue operating much as they do now for several years, even as AI capabilities advance.<\/p>\n

The professor compared the situation to academic journals that continue publishing physical editions despite, in his view, having lost much of their purpose decades ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been plenty of technical breakthroughs in the past \u2014 hand weaving was put out of business by looms, and horses were put out of business by motor cars, and so on,\u201d Borcherds said. \u201cThis is the first time anything like this has happened in mathematics, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

With no better solution in sight, Borcherds told The California Post that he now bases grades mainly on in-person exams, where students are not allowed to use electronic devices.<\/p>\n

Online exams, meanwhile, have become \u201ca waste of time,\u201d he said, because some students use AI to answer the questions.<\/p>\n

Borcherds said he cannot tell which students are using AI but has noticed that average scores rise substantially on online exams.<\/p>\n

His approach reflects a broader challenge for universities attempting to maintain academic standards as AI tools become more accessible to students.<\/p>\n

UC Berkeley has established guidance requiring faculty members to address AI use in their courses.<\/p>\n

Anne Marie Richard, the university\u2019s assistant vice provost for undergraduate education and chief academic technology officer, said the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate asks instructors to include statements in their syllabi outlining course expectations, including rules governing AI tools.<\/p>\n

The university has also explored AI-detection software, including Turnitin and Rumi, but determined the tools were not reliable enough to adopt as a standardized campus-wide solution, the Daily Californian reported.<\/p>\n

Individual instructors therefore retain control over AI policies in their classrooms.<\/p>\n

For Borcherds, however, the challenges of grading homework may pale in comparison with the wider consequences of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the worst effect of AI on society is that it is harder to assess homework then I will be very relieved,\u201d he told The California Post.<\/p>\n

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