AI is devastating higher education, but the system was broken
An essay argues that generative AI is devastating higher education, but that the sector was already weakened by neoliberal reforms. It describes students widely using AI for assessments, citing surveys showing high adoption rates, and notes some Australian and US universities encourage staff to use AI for grading. It recounts incidents in which op-eds by university leaders were found to rely on AI-generated text, and frames AI use as symptomatic of deeper institutional problems rather than merely student misconduct.
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An essay argues that generative AI is devastating higher education, but that the sector was already weakened by neoliberal reforms. It describes students widely using AI for assessments, citing surveys showing high adoption rates, and notes some Australian and US universities encourage staff to use AI for grading. It recounts incidents in which op-eds by university leaders were found to rely on AI-generated text, and frames AI use as symptomatic of deeper institutional problems rather than merely student misconduct.
Key findings from the stored brief
- Surveys cited include a 2025 RMIT study finding nearly 80% of students employed AI, and a Berkeley study finding two-thirds of undergraduates used it.
- Several universities, including Adelaide, Newcastle, Deakin and RMIT, reportedly encourage staff to use AI to accelerate grading, with human sign-off.
- Two op-eds by university leaders were reportedly removed after revelations they relied heavily on AI-generated text.
- The author argues AI adoption results from broader crises in universities, which generative AI in turn intensifies.
Source claims not independently checked; the survey figures and incident details are reported as cited by the author and were not verified here.
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Evidence & sources
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Why this may matter
The essay links AI-driven assessment problems to structural pressures on universities, suggesting that policy responses focused only on cheating detection may miss underlying causes affecting degree credibility and staff workloads.
Limits and open questions
Source claims not independently checked; the survey figures and incident details are reported as cited by the author and were not verified here.
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