Australia implements AI-related reforms in schools and universities

Australian educational institutions are implementing new measures to address the impact of artificial intelligence on learning and academic integrity.

In New South Wales, the government has introduced urgent rule changes for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) starting in Term 4. To combat AI-related cheating and protect the integrity of the credential, schools will be limited to one take-home assessment task per subject, capped at 15 per cent of the assessment mark. Education Minister Prue Car stated the move is necessary to respond to the massive impacts AI will have on how children learn and how assessments are marked.

Separately, Macquarie University has integrated an AI chatbot named ‘Virtual Peer’ into the weekly teaching of two compulsory psychology subjects. The chatbot interacts with students through scenario-based exercises. While the university maintains the tool is intended to supplement rather than replace educators, the shift has drawn criticism from students who expressed concerns about the loss of in-person instruction and the potential displacement of human tutors.