Professor Discovers Use of AI in Assignments with Clever Trick

Professor catches students using AI with clever trick

Jason Gibson, a history teacher in the United States, found an unusual way to deal with the wave of students using artificial intelligence to complete their assignments. He inserted an invisible prompt in a PDF document, instructing the AI to randomly include the word "Madagascar" in the responses. The result? 32 out of 35 students in the class fell into the trap. Phrases like "Madagascar floats sideways in the afternoon" appeared in the papers, revealing that the students used the AI to generate answers without reviewing the content.

Gibson's trick was not an attempt to humiliate the students. He even allowed them to contest their grades, but only two did. The teacher is not against the use of AI, but believes there is a difference between using the tool and letting it do all the work. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, teachers have faced new challenges. Previously, the problem was copying and pasting from the internet. Now, students have access to a tool that generates text almost instantly, often without accuracy.

The battle of teachers against AI

The struggle to control the use of AI in schools seems far from over. Data from TIC Kids Online Brazil 2025 shows that 65% of Brazilian youth aged 9 to 17 use AI, mainly for school research. MIT has already pointed out that excessive use of AI can reduce learning and critical thinking. Besides Gibson, other teachers are taking steps to make it harder to use AI. Roberto Serrano from Brown University administered an in-person exam after suspecting high grades in remote assessments. Performance dropped by 50%.

Teachers need to adapt to this new reality, creating strategies to ensure that learning is not compromised. Meanwhile, students and educators continue to navigate this new world of technological possibilities and pitfalls. Adaptation is inevitable, but the path is still being charted.