UK regulator threatens universities with sanctions unless they adopt AI-proof exam formats

England's higher-education regulator, the Office for Students, says AI makes it "close to impossible" to fairly grade student coursework and is urging universities to bring back traditional exams and in-person presentations, the Guardian reports. A joint OfS and Advance HE survey of more than 300 respondents at 127 institutions found students use AI heavily for essays and dissertations, often undetected, and receive similar grades to those working without it. The OfS warns it could sanction institutions that don't develop reliable formats, while many universities are already moving toward oral exams, process-based assessments, or tasks where students critically revise AI-generated text.