AI Cheating Is the New Pandemic in Education — And It’s Destroying Academic Merit

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We are in the middle of an academic integrity crisis.

While artificial intelligence has incredible potential to revolutionize learning, it’s also fueling the fastest-growing epidemic in modern education: cheating. From AI-generated essays to ChatGPT-powered take-home tests, today’s students are facing a temptation no previous generation had — the ability to outsource their thinking.

And many are taking the bait.

The AI Shortcut: More Than Just “Homework Help”

Across high schools and colleges, students are:

• Using AI to write entire essays with minimal input.
• Copying math solutions without learning how to solve problems.
• Submitting chatbot-generated discussion posts and reflections in online classes.

What was once considered academic dishonesty is now being rationalized as “efficient” or “normal.” But let’s be clear: copying AI-generated work and turning it in as your own is cheating — just like copying from a classmate or stealing from a textbook.

The long-term consequence? A generation of students who look smart on paper but lack the skills, confidence, and resilience to succeed in the real world.

Why This Undermines Meritocracy

I created Prep Expert with the belief that education should reward effort, discipline, and mastery. But AI cheating flips that on its head — allowing students to bypass the learning process entirely.

This trend hurts:

• Hardworking students who spend hours mastering difficult material.
• Colleges and scholarship committees who can’t discern true capability.
• Our workforce, which increasingly relies on independent thinkers and problem-solvers.

If GPAs are inflated and essays are ghostwritten by AI, how can we fairly identify students who deserve opportunities?

What’s the Solution?

We don’t need to ban AI — we need to balance it with standards that still reflect merit.

1. Reinstate Standardized Testing Requirements Exams like the SAT and ACT are taken in controlled environments. They provide a fair, level playing field that AI cannot infiltrate. That’s why top colleges like MIT and Yale are bringing them back.
2. Redesign Assessments Schools must implement in-person, oral, and project-based evaluations that reflect actual student understanding.
3. Educate Students on Ethical AI Use Instead of pretending AI doesn’t exist, we must teach students how to use it responsibly — as a tool for learning, not a crutch for cheating.

Let’s Save the Value of Hard Work

Meritocracy only works when there’s integrity in how merit is measured. If we allow AI to hollow out our academic system, we’ll replace achievement with automation — and ambition with apathy.

To every student reading this: Real success doesn’t come from taking shortcuts. It comes from showing up, putting in the work, and proving you’ve earned what you’ve achieved.

Let’s fight for that kind of meritocracy — together.

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Follow me for more commentary on education, standardized testing, scholarships, and how to build a system that truly rewards talent, effort, and integrity.

Dr. Shaan Patel, MD, MBA is the Founder & CEO of Prep Expert, a Shark Tank Winner, a #1 bestselling author, and a board-certified dermatologist.