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UC Berkeley professor refuses to grade his students’ homework after noticing worrying trend: ‘No point’ (AI)
NY Post ^ | 10/25/26 | Zain Khan

Posted on 10/25/2026 5:09:27 PM PDT by Libloather

A UC Berkeley professor has stopped grading students’ homework for correctness after noticing artificial intelligence tools were helping them rack up top marks.

Richard Borcherds, a renowned mathematician who received the prestigious Fields Medal in 1998, said widespread student use of AI has undermined the value of traditional homework grading.

“Student use of AI for homework is now widespread,” Borcherds told The California Post. “Grading for correctness just adds a huge incentive for them to use AI for homework instead of doing it themselves, and penalizes students for honesty.”

Paying graders to evaluate AI generated answers is also a waste of time and money, he said.

Borcherds now awards credit based primarily on whether students complete their assignments rather than whether their answers are correct, acknowledging that he does not know of a better solution.

The professor said it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish work produced by artificial intelligence from work written by students themselves.

“There is no easy way to tell the difference between human and AI generated work,” he told The California Post. “Occasionally 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.”

His comments come as AI tools grow increasingly capable of tackling complex academic problems, raising questions about how universities will assess students’ work and prepare the next generation of mathematicians.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Business/Economy; Conspiracy; Education
KEYWORDS: ai; aidamages; berkeley; california; cheating; homework; mathematics; professor; richardborcherds; students

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Collich. Git sum.
1 posted on 10/25/2026 5:09:27 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather

That’s another way of saying there’s no point to Berkeley, or to college in general. Or to your job.


2 posted on 10/25/2026 5:13:50 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: Libloather

AI is making “teachers” actually earn their pay for a change.


3 posted on 10/25/2026 5:15:08 PM PDT by nicollo (TrumpO beat the cheat! )
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newsflash: Berkley professor finds an excuse to do even less work, even with TAs doing most of the grading.


4 posted on 10/25/2026 5:15:55 PM PDT by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: Libloather

So now it is Dr. AI, Phd.


5 posted on 10/25/2026 5:17:51 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob ( My pronoun is EXIT. Generally full of /S -- Living with Havana Syndrome -infected from Main Stream)
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To: Libloather

I think the professor is right.


6 posted on 10/25/2026 5:17:51 PM PDT by zeebee
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To: Libloather

AI is smart - it should recognize it’s own work - or the work of fellow AI agents. So, give the job of grading the papers to AI.


7 posted on 10/25/2026 5:18:21 PM PDT by GOPJ (Most middle class 'cost of living problems' have more to do with bad financial choices than paycheck)
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To: Libloather

It’s probably getting more and more evident to AI that it is inefficient to tolerate the stupidity and inferiority of the humans.

HAL trying to console Dave as he loses yet another chess match to HAL: But you have shown improvement, Dave. ♟️♟️


8 posted on 10/25/2026 5:18:25 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: Libloather

Solution is to base grades on tests taken with a pen or pencil and paper in a classroom with no computer. Small quizzes throughout the year based on assigned reading.

For English comp classes have them do the work in class with grad students watching them. If they have bad handwriting switch them to pre-med.


9 posted on 10/25/2026 5:20:02 PM PDT by rmichaelj (Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus tecum.)
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To: Libloather

No AI at the final exam though.


10 posted on 10/25/2026 5:20:03 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (The right of the Democrats to embezzle elections shall not be infringed. )
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To: Libloather

The semi-mythical story for a U. of Michigan astronomy professor in the 1960s-70s was that her famous and unashamed rooting for the football players who needed to “major in eligibility” gave her the system for grading: A is for athletes. B is for boys. C is for coeds.


11 posted on 10/25/2026 5:21:55 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: rmichaelj

If they have bad handwriting switch them to pre-med.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

lol!


12 posted on 10/25/2026 5:22:54 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

RE: final exam....

I heard someone discussing the newest AI assisted special eyeglasses that monitor and assess the environment including incoming data to the wearer.


13 posted on 10/25/2026 5:23:20 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: Libloather

If AI is doing students’ college work and getting good grades, the best solution going forward is for AI to be offered the good jobs directly, bypassing lazy students, and stop wasting time with human slackers who are coasting thru college and can’t actually do college work.

“Congratulations, you Mr. or Ms. AI, are hereby granted the Degree of Bachelor of Science in _________________ from this University, with all of the privileges and recognition accompanying the Degree. You have shown how your knowledge and hard work far surpasses the efforts of mid students taking up valuable classroom space here.”


14 posted on 10/25/2026 5:29:35 PM PDT by Gnome1949
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To: Steely Tom

The point to any homework is to check understanding. Getting the right answer via AI sidesteps the entire point.


15 posted on 10/25/2026 5:34:06 PM PDT by Bruce Campbells Chin
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To: Libloather

No reason to go through the motions with students who don’t care about learning.

Education is going to be reset soon.


16 posted on 10/25/2026 5:34:12 PM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: Gnome1949
mid students taking up valuable classroom space here

That college space is only valuable for Marxist indoctrination.

17 posted on 10/25/2026 5:48:51 PM PDT by FatherofFive (We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor)
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To: rmichaelj

Now that most students can be certified as having a learning disability, they can get a quiet room, unlimited time and who knows what else. Your suggestion is what I did for 40+ years. Over the last ten it got progressively harder each year


18 posted on 10/25/2026 5:55:14 PM PDT by organicchemist (Without the second amendment, the first amendment is just talk)
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To: Steely Tom

I catch AI generating errors quite frequently.

But you have to have deep knowledge of a subject to do so.

Relying on it alone will get people and organizations in trouble.


19 posted on 10/25/2026 5:56:23 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
The point to any homework is to check understanding.

The point of education is to learn, not to get grades.
20 posted on 10/25/2026 5:59:06 PM PDT by Chad_the_Impaler
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