Exclusive:Scottish universities catch students misusing AI in more than 1,000 'cheating' cases

Figures released by institutions under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws show a 700 per cent increase, from 131 in 2022/23 to 1,051 in 2023/24, although many universities have only recently started recording such cases.

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Miles Briggs, who obtained the data, said the trend was “hugely worrying”, and that it was likely to be the “tip of the iceberg”.

AI technology is expected to bring many benefits to education, including removing the burden of administrative tasks for under-pressure staff. But concerns remain about the opportunities for plagiarism created for learners through the likes of ChatGPT.

The FOI responses suggest universities are at different stages in responding to the technology, with some not recording complaints data centrally or not distinguishing it from other types of misconduct.

At the other end of the spectrum, Abertay University introduced “unacceptable AI use” as a misconduct category in 2023 and last year dealt with 351 cases, with the complaint being upheld in 342 of them.

The figures for Abertay represent almost a third of the 1,051 total across Scotland. The university said it showed its “advanced approach to detection of misuse is working as it should”.

The next highest number was at Stirling University, which also added a specific AI category to its procedures ahead of 2023/24, and has since investigated 213 incidents, issuing a penalty in 200 of them.

Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen dealt with 116 incidents in 2023/24, with sanctions imposed for all of them, including “failure and retention of all remaining re-assessment opportunities” in 63 of them.

There were 113 cases upheld at Glasgow Caledonian University last year, following 137 investigations into AI misuse offences.

Glasgow University had 130 reports last year, with 106 being investigated, and 86 resulting in a penalty, although the institution said this may not necessarily be due to the misuse of AI alone, but in combination with other breaches of the Code of Student Conduct.

At Edinburgh University, reports of suspected academic misconduct are investigated by either the school academic misconduct officer or the college academic misconduct officer.

Last year, 78 students were penalised for academic misconduct involving the misuse of AI. The sanction was either a mark penalty, a formal warning, or both.

Neighbouring Heriot-Watt University looked into 51 incidents, with 42 being proven. For academic misconduct at the university, disciplinary penalties can range from voiding the course to voiding the entire academic year results.

St Andrews University upheld 38 cases last year, while there were 21 at Aberdeen University, eight at Strathclyde University, and seven at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Briggs, a Lothian MSP, said: “These figures show AI is tearing through universities and causing a significant headache for lecturers. The fact more than 1,000 cases have been investigated and proven in the space of a year is hugely worrying, and likely only the tip of the iceberg.

“AI is obviously here to stay and we have to live with it, but universities need support in tackling what is effectively cheating. If Scottish universities are seen as vulnerable to students using AI to replace thinking or hard work of their own, it will be hugely damaging for the sector’s reputation internationally.”

Napier University in Edinburgh said it did not systematically record the information centrally, but that its academic integrity panels showed no recordings of AI incidents within the academic years 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Queen Margaret University said it “does not specify when recording academic misconduct cases whether AI was used”. Dundee University also said it did not distinguish AI misconduct from other disciplinary cases.

A recent focus group for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) found many teachers and lecturers believed there needed to be an overhaul of assessments in schools and colleges as a result of the rise of AI, as well as a review of what they are ultimately aiming to achieve.

At universities, a survey of 1,000 undergraduates at British universities found there had been an “explosive increase” in the use of genAI in the past 12 months, with 88 per cent saying they used tools such as ChatGPT for their assessments, up from 53 per cent last year.

The proportion using any AI tool surged from 66 per cent in 2024 to 92 per cent in 2025, the Guardian reported last week.

They used it to explain concepts, summarise articles and suggest research ideas, but 18 per cent admitted to including AI-generated text directly in submitted work.

Josh Freeman, the report’s author, said: “There are urgent lessons here for institutions. Every assessment must be reviewed in case it can be completed easily using AI.”

He added: “Ultimately, AI tools should be harnessed to advance learning rather than inhibit it.”

A spokesperson for Universities Scotland, which represents the nation’s higher education institutions, said: “AI technology is becoming increasingly embedded in society, and academic institutions must keep pace with these trends.

“Universities will always take cases of academic misconduct seriously in line with their own codes of practice, and this includes students who utilise AI inappropriately to complete their assignments.

“Universities will investigate these cases in different ways based on their own policies, and for emerging technologies like AI this may lead to some inconsistencies between institutions on how data on misconduct is being recorded.

“The use of AI offers both risks and opportunities to universities, and institutions should embrace change as students begin to reach for AI in the way we have done for other digital tools, while recognising it can be prone to errors, should only be used appropriately, and should not be solely relied on for information.

“Universities are collaborating closely with relevant expert bodies on ICT and academic integrity such as Jisc and QAA to help inform their processes on AI as the technology advances.”

A spokesperson for Abertay University said: “These figures underline our commitment to ensuring that students use generative AI in an ethical manner and that our advanced approach to detection of misuse is working as it should.

“It is essential that all universities embrace a robust approach to both detection and education, teaching students the skills they need to thrive in AI-enabled workplaces while also sending a clear message that unacceptable use will not be tolerated.”