Brown Professor Flags 96 Average on Midterm, Suspecting AI Cheating
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 15
Brown Professor Flags 96 Average on Midterm, Suspecting AI Cheating
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 15
Summary
A 96 average in Roberto Serrano’s advanced mathematical economics midterm at Brown University triggered suspicions of AI-assisted cheating after scores in past years typically landed in the 60s to 80s.
Nearly half the class earned perfect 100s, an unusual result that convinced the Ivy League professor he needed to push back against students using AI to complete assessed work.
The episode highlights how quickly advancing AI tools are disrupting college testing, with even elite universities struggling to verify whether strong exam results reflect actual student learning.
When AI can ace an Ivy League exam, is traditional education now obsolete?
With AI detectors failing, how can universities prove their degrees are still valuable?
The Brown University AI Cheating Crisis: How Over 50 Students Exploited Generative AI and What It Means for Higher Education
Overview
In Summer 2026, Brown University faced its largest academic scandal when Professor Roberto Serrano uncovered widespread AI cheating in his ECON 1170 course. After noticing unusual grades on a take-home midterm, Serrano compared these results with an in-person final, revealing that at least 50 students had committed fraud. The incident sent shockwaves through the Ivy League and gained major media attention as Serrano shared his findings with international publications. This scandal highlighted the ease of AI-enabled cheating and sparked urgent debates about academic integrity, prompting calls for policy reform and new approaches to assessment in higher education.