The trick: Scope Swap
A Berkeley professor says AI makes grading homework pointless.
The Daily Californian gives no count from his classes; the nearest data is a Texas study where A grades rose 16 extra points in homework-heavy courses.
A Berkeley maths professor says students use AI to get top homework scores, so grading it is pointless.
Before you read on. Your call?
TRUE, BUT
16 pts
the story gives no count from his classes. A Berkeley working paper on a Texas university finds A grades rose 13 points in AI-exposed courses, with an extra 16 where homework weighs more. Gallup finds 57% of US college students use AI weekly.
There’s more to this story.
Membership opens the full investigation, the strongest counterargument and what to do with what you’ve learned.
30 days free, then A$89 a year. Payment card required. Cancel before the trial ends to avoid the first charge.
Review my 30-day free trial →- At sign-up: 30 days free. Payment card required. One introductory trial per customer.
- Your trial ends 30 days after you start. Unless you cancel before then in Account → Manage subscription, we charge A$89 for the first year. It renews automatically at A$89/yr until cancelled.
- You can ask for a full refund within 14 days after any annual payment, renewals included, with no reason needed, by emailing hello@bskiller.com. This voluntary refund does not limit your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
By starting your trial, you agree to the Terms.
Inferno Tech Pty Ltd t/a BS Killer, ABN 27 647 413 474
Get tomorrow’s check free by email.
Couldn't check your access. That's on us.
The trick has a name
We call it Scope Swap: applies to far less than it sounds like. You'll see it again. Learn to spot it →
Receipts
- Supports dailycal.org:
After seeing how many of his students used AI to consistently receive top scores
- Supports dailycal.org:
he felt there was “no point” in paying readers to grade for correctness in homework
- Context dailycal.org:
Borcherds said he currently grades on completion if a student hands in their homework.
- Context dailycal.org:
Campus has tried several AI detection tools, including Turnitin and Rumi
- Supports cshe.berkeley.edu:
the share of A grades rose by 13 percentage points, or about 30% relative to the 2022 baseline
- Supports cshe.berkeley.edu:
These increases were larger where homework carried greater weight, consistent with AI substituting for student work rather than broad learning gains from AI.
- Context the-decoder.com:
analyzed more than 500,000 grades at a "large, selective public research university" in Texas
- Supports the-decoder.com:
A's rise by an extra 16 percentage points compared to courses below the median with the same AI exposure
- Context the-decoder.com:
In those lower-homework courses, the effect is small and not statistically significant.
- Supports timeshighereducation.com:
was not found to the same extent in in-person examination
- Supports news.gallup.com:
more than half (57%) of U.S. college students are using artificial intelligence in their coursework at least weekly
- Context hepi.ac.uk:
95% of students now use AI in some form and 94% use generative AI to support assessed work
Open the Receipts Pack → What each source proves, every figure traced, and what would change our verdict.
