Jason Gibson, a history professor at Alcorn State University in Mississippi, gained attention after a TikTok series revealed that many of his students used artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat on assignments. In a video posted on July 20, Gibson shared that 32 out of 35 students failed a portion of his midterm exam after he included a hidden prompt in white text, instructing them to incorporate the word 'Madagascar' in a nonsensical manner. He noted that the students' responses often included bizarre uses of the word, which is unrelated to the exam topic of technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution.
Gibson stated that none of the students requested accommodations to use AI and allowed them to contest their grades. Out of the 32 students, only two contested, with one successfully changing her grade by claiming she had seen the hidden prompt through dark mode. He defended his decision to share his method of detecting AI use, stating that his intent was not to see students fail.
In subsequent videos, Gibson highlighted the robotic nature of AI-generated writing, which he felt detracted from the students' individual voices. He also reported that the final grades for the class included eight A's, 14 B's, 10 C's, two D's, and one F. The situation has sparked discussions among educators about the challenges of incorporating AI into higher education while preventing cheating.