Uni of Lincoln is one of the top 10 UK universities for punishing AI academic offences

The University of Lincoln has ranked in the top 10 UK universities for punishing AI academic offences.

A recent study by AIPRM has revealed that the university came eighth with 82 offences being punished between 2022 and 2024.

AIPRM sent out 150 freedom of information requests to universities around the UK aiming to find out just how much AI is misused in academia.

Birmingham City University took the top spot in the table with a staggering 402 academic penalties, and Leeds universities even managed to make two appearances, taking both second and seventh in the list. 

Of the 80 universities that returned data, more than four in five (82.5 per cent) have investigated their students for incidents of cheating using AI.

However, a number of prestigious universities like the University of Cambridge and University of London reported no offences.

The study also showed that overall one in six students have admitted to cheating. This has lead to some schools banning AI completely in an attempt to prevent AI offences. However, many disagree with this blanked ban approach.

Christopher C. Cemper on behalf of AIPRM said: “Use AI as a friend or side-kick, not a substitute for writing up your work.”

Going on to be more specific about what exactly you can, and should, use these tools for, he added: “AI can be a great source for locating academic research, generating ideas and summarising articles, but make sure that when utilising AI tools, you always ensure that the work remains your own and maintain originality. For example, AI can assist with grammar and style of writing, but do not use it to write an entire paper or section of your assignment.”

He continues by saying students should use AI as a “guide to understanding and upgrading [their] skill set,” noting that work should come from students’ own skill sets and that if AI is used, it should always be referenced correctly.

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