Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help prevent AI-driven plagiarism in schools.

The majority of GCSE and A level assessments are taken as written exams under close staff supervision, without access to the internet or artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which prevents the use of AI-generated material in most assessments.

The department is working closely with Ofqual and the wider sector to understand the risks associated with generative AI and to ensure appropriate mitigations are in place.

Strict rules, set by exam boards, are already in place to ensure that students’ work is their own, and sanctions for malpractice are severe, including the possibility of disqualification. Schools and teachers know their students best and are experienced in identifying their individual students’ work.

To support the sector, the Joint Council for Qualifications has published guidance for teachers and exam centres to help prevent and identify potential malpractice involving the misuse of AI in assessments. The guidance is available here: https://www.jcq.org.uk/knowledge-hub/ai-use-in-assessments-your-role-in-protecting-the-integrity-of-qualifications/.

Ofqual, as the independent regulator, has also published its overall approach to regulating AI use in the qualifications sector. The approach can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofquals-approach-to-regulating-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-qualifications-sector.