AI Cheating Scandal Rocks Brown University as Professor Exposes Widespread Fraud

Brown University is at the center of an academic integrity scandal involving artificial intelligence. Professor Roberto Serrano, an economist born in Spain, has disclosed that a large number of students in his spring 2026 section of ECON 1170 may have cheated using generative AI.

The controversy began in December 2025, when a gunman attacked the Brown campus, killing two people. One of the victims had recently introduced herself to Serrano. Shaken by the event, Serrano decided to allow take-home exams for both the midterm and final in the spring 2026 semester.

This change led to a surge in enrollment. The course, which normally attracts relatively few but high-performing students, typically had no more than 30 enrollees. This semester, 86 students signed up. The results of the midterm, administered on March 5, were extraordinary: the average score was 96 out of 100, with 40 students achieving a perfect 100. Serrano noted that historically, the average midterm score ranged between 65 and 80 percent, even though the exam was more challenging than previous versions due to the unlimited time allowed.

Serrano shared his story with El País and Inside Higher Ed, both of which published significant articles on the scandal. While the professor cannot definitively prove that all students cheated, he believes the results are impossible without AI assistance. The incident highlights the growing challenge of AI-driven cheating in higher education.