WorkJuly 12, 2026via The Decoder
Grades dropped from 96 to 48 percent when a Brown professor made students take the exam without AI
Why it matters
As AI adoption accelerates in classrooms, evidence is mounting that students using AI for homework without friction lose critical thinking skills—a finding with major implications for workforce readiness and corporate training strategies.
Key signals
- Brown University economics professor observed 86 students averaged 96% on take-home exam; suspected widespread AI use
- In-person final exam: average score dropped to 48.6%; 18 students dropped course, 9 didn't show up
- Study from China and UC Berkeley corroborate: student reliance on AI for homework correlates with tanked proctored exam performance
- Implication: AI-assisted learning without friction erodes foundational skill retention
The hook
96% to 48.6%. That's what happened when a Brown professor moved his exam in-person. Here's what it reveals about AI in education.
An economics professor at Brown University suspects most of his 86 students used AI to cheat on a take-home exam that averaged 96 percent. When he made the final an in-person test, 18 students dropped the course, nine didn't show up, and the average fell to 48.6 percent. Two large studies from China and UC Berkeley back up his case: where students lean on AI for homework, their proctored exam scores tank.