Professor Hides White Text in Exam, Catches 32 Students Using AI to Cheat
AI-generated answers included "Madagascar floats sideways through the afternoon"
On July 27, Dr. Jason Gibson, a history professor at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, discovered a serious problem: at least 32 out of his 35 students across two classes were using AI to complete their midterm exam. Instead of confronting them directly, he set a trap on the second test.
Gibson embedded hidden instructions in white-colored font within the exam prompt, telling the AI to include information about Madagascar in a way that made no sense. The white text was invisible to students but perfectly readable by AI chatbots. All 32 students who used AI produced answers containing bizarre Madagascar references - including "Madagascar floats sideways through the afternoon" and "Madagascar purple bicycle whispers to the ceiling."
Gibson posted his experience on TikTok, and the videos went viral. All 32 students who were caught failed that portion of the exam. When given the chance to contest their grade, only 2 out of 32 attempted to argue their case. Earlier this month, a Brown University professor reported that exam averages jumped from 65-80% to 96% after switching to take-home exams - he estimated all but 2 of his 86 students used AI to cheat.
Sources: TechSpot, Futurism, Yahoo News
BenPig read the AI's answers twice and still couldn't figure out what Madagascar had to do with the ceiling.