Chinese Tech Firms Halt AI Tools to Curb Cheating in Gaokao Exams
In a bid to uphold the integrity of China's fiercely competitive university entrance exams, several leading technology companies have temporarily disabled key artificial intelligence chatbot features. The move comes as the four-day Gaokao exams began on June 7, with over 13.3 million students nationwide competing for limited university placements.
Why the Suspension of AI Chatbots?
The rising accessibility of AI-powered chatbots has inadvertently opened new avenues for cheating among students. To tackle this concern, prominent chatbots from giants like Alibaba, ByteDance, Tencent, and others have paused certain functionalities — especially those that could be exploited during exams.
- Chatbots such as Alibaba's Qwen and ByteDance's Doubao have disabled photo-recognition features that could read exam papers.
- Others including Moonshot's Kimi, DeepSeek, and Tencent's Yuanbao have completely suspended services during the exam hours.
When questioned, some chatbot operators explained that these measures were necessary "to ensure the fairness of the college entrance examinations." For instance, ByteDance stated that their question-answering services would be halted throughout the Gaokao period in compliance with official guidelines.
Multi-Layered Efforts to Safeguard Exam Fairness
The chatbot suspensions are part of a wider effort by authorities to clamp down on cheating during the Gaokao, also known as the National College Entrance Exam (NCEE). Regional authorities have adopted a variety of advanced monitoring strategies:
- Employing AI surveillance to detect suspicious activities such as whispering or frequent eye contact between candidates.
- Post-exam reviews of examination footage, particularly from places like Jiangxi province, with strict consequences for any violations.
- Enhanced security protocols including biometric identification checks, thorough digital device screening, radio signal jammers, and stringent entry inspections.
These heightened precautions underscore the significance of the Gaokao, which millions of students consider a pivotal gateway to higher education and future success.
What This Means for Students and Tech
The temporary suspension of AI chatbot services underscores the growing concerns around technology's unintended impact on academic honesty. While AI tools offer remarkable benefits across numerous sectors, their misuse during critical exams calls for thoughtful regulation and real-time interventions.
As the Gaokao unfolds, these combined measures seek to safeguard a level playing field, maintaining the exam’s long-standing reputation as the cornerstone of China’s education system.
