TLDR: Over 100 postgraduate finance students at Lincoln University are required to re-sit an exam after a lecturer suspected widespread use of generative AI tools in their assignments. Approximately one-third of the class displayed an ‘unexpected level of proficiency’ and significant similarities in their work, prompting the university to demand students explain their code.
Lincoln University has ordered approximately 120 postgraduate finance students to re-sit a recent exam following concerns that a significant portion of the class utilized generative artificial intelligence tools to complete their assignments. The decision comes after a lecturer identified an ‘unexpected level of proficiency’ and substantial similarities across a third of the submitted work, raising alarms about academic integrity.
University Provost Chad Hewitt confirmed the situation, stating that the lecturer’s suspicions were triggered by the unusual quality and commonalities in the assignments. Instead of immediately initiating a formal misconduct investigation, the university has opted for a ‘softer’ approach, requiring the students to explain the code they submitted. Hewitt emphasized that students who genuinely completed their work without AI assistance should be able to articulate their methodology.
‘As a consequence, the lecturer has asked the students to explain the code to him, which they should be able to do [if no AI was used],’ Hewitt told Morning Report on August 26, 2025. He further elaborated that the lecturer ‘raised the alarm after a significant amount of similarities were found in the assignments… and an assumption was made that AI had been used.’
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Hewitt noted that if sufficient evidence of AI use emerges from this re-evaluation, a full academic investigation would then be launched. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges universities face globally in adapting assessment methods and policies to the rapid advancements and accessibility of generative AI technologies.
