Cheating with AI tools is a growing worry in education worldwide. China has taken a strict approach during its critical national exams by temporarily shutting down AI features that could aid students in cheating. This move underscores the efforts of governments to strike a balance between the benefits of artificial intelligence and the need for fairness and integrity in education.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
During China’s Gaokao — the National College Entrance Exam — authorities block AI-powered features in popular apps. Tools like Alibaba’s Qwen, ByteDance’s Doubao, DeepSeek, Moonshot’s Kimi, and Tencent’s Yuanbao turn off their photo-recognition capabilities during exam hours. These AI functions usually allow users to scan documents and extract answers, but they pause when detecting exam papers.
If users ask why the features are down, the apps explain they are turned off to ensure fairness. This precaution remains in effect throughout the exam period, which lasts several days and concludes around June 10. After that, the AI features reactivate.
China’s Gaokao exam is one of the most high-stakes tests globally, determining college admissions for millions of students. Preventing AI-assisted cheating during this period is a top priority for the government.
Unlike China, the U.S. has not implemented similar AI restrictions during exams. The decentralized nature of American testing — with no centralized, government-run exams except for SATs or ACTs — makes enforcement more challenging. In China, centralized control enables authorities to regulate the use of AI tools more strictly.
China also employs AI technology during exams to directly monitor cheating behavior. According to China Daily, AI cameras detect suspicious actions such as whispering or frequently looking at a neighbor’s paper. These flags are reviewed after the exam to investigate potential misconduct.
Meanwhile, the U.S. White House promotes AI literacy and integration in education. An executive order from April encourages training educators and exposing students to AI concepts early. The goal is to build a workforce ready for the AI-driven future, with a focus on embracing AI rather than restricting it.
TF Summary: What’s Next
China’s temporary shutdown of AI-powered image recognition during the Gaokao shows the challenges of regulating AI in education. As AI tools become increasingly powerful, governments worldwide must find ways to prevent cheating while harnessing the benefits of AI for learning.
The U.S. focuses on integrating AI positively in schools, while China prioritizes exam integrity with tight controls. Balancing these approaches will be crucial as AI grows more embedded in education globally.
Schools, students, and policymakers should prepare for the evolving rules of AI. Effective monitoring, transparency, and education on AI ethics will help establish responsible AI — both in exams and beyond.
— Text-to-Speech (TTS) provided by gspeech