UC Berkeley Professor Stops Grading Math Homework, Citing AI Use

Richard Borcherds, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, says he has stopped grading homework for his mathematics students because AI-generated answers have become difficult to distinguish from students’ own work.

“Online exams are now a waste of time as several students just use AI to answer the questions,” Borcherds said. He added that he cannot tell which students are using AI, but has noticed that average scores rise substantially in online exams.

Borcherds argued that grading mainly for correctness gives students an incentive to use AI for homework and penalizes those who complete it themselves. He also said paying to grade AI-generated answers is a waste of time and money. He plans to assess students through traditional exams without electronic devices.

The decision comes after the university found AI-detection software unreliable and allowed professors to set course-level policies on AI use. The source says some educators have raised similar concerns, while others permit students to use AI. It does not report that Berkeley has adopted a university-wide ban on AI in coursework.