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Chinese Tech Firms Disable AI Chatbots During Gaokao Exams

Authorities rely on AI-driven surveillance to enforce integrity for more than 13.3 million test-takers.

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Students preparing for China’s rigorous gaokao college entrance exams, seen here using digital devices and study materials in a modern library setting. Amid fears of AI-enabled cheating, Chinese tech giants have suspended chatbot features while authorities deploy surveillance and network jammers to maintain exam integrity.
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Photo: Marco Bertorello / AFP (Getty Images)

Overview

  • Major Chinese tech companies, including Alibaba, ByteDance, Tencent and Moonshot, have temporarily suspended photo-recognition and question-answering functions in their AI chatbots during gaokao exam hours.
  • The four-day gaokao exams, which determine university placement, are underway for more than 13.3 million students between June 7 and 10.
  • Provincial authorities have deployed AI-powered monitoring systems to detect irregular behavior alongside biometric ID checks and radio signal jammers at testing centers.
  • The service suspensions were not publicly announced by the firms and were primarily discovered by students sharing screenshots on Weibo.
  • Many candidates have expressed frustration on social media over the loss of AI study aids during the critical testing period.