A health economics doctoral student is suing the University of Minnesota, claiming he was unjustly expelled after being accused of using AI on an exam.
MPR News reports that Haishan Yang, 33, a third-year Ph.D. student in the health economics program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has filed a federal lawsuit against the university alleging he was wrongfully expelled in November 2022 over accusations that he used AI tools, such as ChatGPT, on a written preliminary exam. Yang vehemently denies the claims and asserts his expulsion resulted from an unfair disciplinary process marred by “procedural flaws, reliance on altered evidence, and denial of adequate notice and opportunity to respond.”
The allegations against Yang arose after all four faculty graders of his eight-hour online preliminary exam, which doctoral students must pass to begin their dissertation, expressed “significant concerns” that the writing was not in Yang’s voice. They cited answers that seemed off-topic or covered material not taught in courses. As evidence, two professors generated their own responses using ChatGPT to compare against Yang’s submission. They also presented findings from AI detection software at Yang’s disciplinary hearing.
However, Yang maintains his innocence, arguing that the methods used by his professors to determine AI use are unreliable and biased, especially against non-native English speakers like himself. He points out inconsistencies in the ChatGPT-generated responses used to compare against his exam and questions the accuracy of AI detection tools, some of which flagged his exam answers as having vastly different probabilities of being AI-generated.
Yang’s advisor, Professor Bryan Dowd, spoke in his defense at the November hearing. With over 40 years of teaching experience at the university, Dowd described Yang as an excellent and trustworthy student, one of the most well-read he has encountered. Dowd expressed surprise at the suggestion Yang would need AI to pass, noting his proficiency as evidenced by having a solo-authored paper under review at a top economics journal.
Despite this, a student conduct review panel unanimously concluded that Yang was guilty based on “a preponderance of the evidence.” As an international student, the expulsion resulted in Yang losing his visa status. He is seeking $575,000 in damages and a reversal of the decision.
Yang suggests the university may have had unjust motives, pointing to previous unproven accusations against him that were mentioned at the hearing but not explicitly cited as factors in the final decision. These include an incident where he was suspected but not charged with using AI on a homework assignment.
As AI tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent, Yang’s case underscores the challenges and risks surrounding their use in academia. Students fear life-altering consequences from false accusations, while educators grapple with preventing cheating. In the 2023-24 school year, AI use accounted for about half of all confirmed academic dishonesty cases at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Experts caution that AI detection methods can be inaccurate, with some reports indicating they disproportionately flag writing by non-native English speakers and those using assistive tools like Grammarly. Rather than relying on detection software, many advocate for assessment methods that are harder for AI to complete, such as personal reflections and oral presentations, or transparently allowing AI use as part of assignments.
The University of Minnesota does not have a systemwide AI policy but provides faculty with guidance on setting clear expectations around its use. School officials say they are focusing on helping instructors proactively address academic integrity rather than relying on imperfect detection tools.
With his expulsion putting his future in jeopardy, Yang, who is currently self-represented, hopes his case will shed light on the issues surrounding AI in education and the need for fair, transparent disciplinary procedures. The university has stated it will present its perspective in upcoming court filings.
Read more at MPR News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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