Professor Catches 32 Students Using AI with Hidden Exam Prompt
Dr. Jason Gibson at Alcorn State University embedded the word "Madagascar" in white font in his midterm exam. Students who copied the text into AI chatbots received nonsensical responses referencing the hidden word. 32 of 35 students failed after using AI to generate answers without proofreading. Gibson documented the scheme in a TikTok series. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between AI tools and academic integrity.
Key facts
- Dr. Jason Gibson hid the word 'Madagascar' in white font in a midterm exam.
- 32 of 35 students across two summer history courses failed for using AI to generate responses.
- The exam asked students to compare the Industrial Revolution with the digital age.
- AI chatbots produced phrases like 'Madagascar floats sideways through the afternoon'.
- Gibson posted a three-part TikTok series explaining the trap.
- Three students passed; some commenters noted newer AI models may avoid such traps.
- Gibson offered students the chance to appeal their grades.
- The story was covered by TechSpot and Today.com.
Entities
Institutions
- Alcorn State University
- TechSpot
- Today.com
- TikTok
Locations
- Alcorn State University
- United States