Professor uses hidden word to detect AI use on midterm exam
By Chris Oswalt, Angela Williams
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LORMAN, Mississippi (WAPT) — An Alcorn State University professor exposed AI use on a college midterm exam by embedding a hidden word in the assignment, leading to dozens of students failing.
Dr. Jason Gibson said he hid the word “Madagascar” in white text within an online midterm prompt. Students reading the assignment normally could not see the word, but AI chatbots could detect it if the prompt was copied and pasted.
When Gibson graded the exams, he found bizarre AI-generated phrases in the students’ answers, which led him to fail that portion of the exam.
Gibson said his goal was not to embarrass students but to reinforce academic integrity.
In a follow-up video, Gibson said he has no intention of using the same method again.
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