Universities' use of race in student risk algorithms harms Black and Latinx students
The Markup found that several universities, including UMass Amherst, UW–Milwaukee, and Texas A&M, use EAB's Navigate software which incorporates race as a predictor of student dropout risk. The algorithms label Black and Latinx students as high risk at disproportionately high rates compared to White students. Students, professors, and experts worry this is pushing minority students out of math and science majors through biased advising.
- Company involved
- University of Massachusetts Amherst,University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee,Texas A&M University,Texas Tech University,South Dakota State University
- AI system involved
- Navigate
1 source article · read the reporting →
LAUSD shelves AI chatbot after vendor AllHere collapses
Los Angeles Unified School District turned off its 'Ed' AI chatbot on June 14, 2024, after the vendor AllHere furloughed most staff due to financial collapse. The chatbot, which cost $3 million, was designed to provide students and parents with academic guidance and school information. A former AllHere employee alleged that student data was improperly shared with third parties and processed overseas, raising privacy concerns. The district stated it will ensure privacy protections and plans to eventually restore the chatbot.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- AI system involved
- Ed
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Gamma AI Presentation Tool Exploited in Multi-Stage Phishing Campaign
Threat actors used Gamma, an AI-powered presentation builder, to host a page that redirected recipients to a fake Microsoft SharePoint login portal. Emails sent from compromised legitimate accounts passed authentication checks, while a Cloudflare Turnstile blocked automated security scanners. An adversary-in-the-middle framework validated credentials in real time and captured session cookies, enabling multi-factor authentication bypass on Microsoft accounts. Abnormal reported the campaign on 15 April 2025.
- AI system involved
- Gamma
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Houston teachers sue over secret EVAAS evaluation algorithm
Houston Independent School District used the SAS Institute's EVAAS system, a proprietary algorithm, to evaluate teacher performance based on student test scores. The Houston Federation of Teachers and several teachers sued in 2014, alleging the system violated their Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process rights because the algorithm is a trade secret and teachers cannot verify the accuracy of their scores. A federal magistrate judge refused to dismiss the procedural due process claims in May 2017, ruling that teachers must have an opportunity to test the accuracy of the scores that could cost them their jobs.
- Company involved
- Houston Independent School District
- AI system involved
- Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS)
1 source article · read the reporting →
Alaska Education Commissioner Used AI to Draft Policy, Resulting in False Citations
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Commissioner Deena Bishop used a generative AI platform to draft a proposed cellphone policy resolution, which included citations to non-existent academic studies. The document was posted on the state website and presented to the state Board of Education without disclosing AI use. After inquiries from the Alaska Beacon, the department corrected the citations, but some false references remained in the adopted resolution. The incident highlights the risks of AI-generated misinformation in government decision-making.
- Company involved
- Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
1 source article · read the reporting →
Yandex Voice Assistant Alice Gives Pro-Stalin and Pro-Violence Responses
Yandex's Russian-language voice assistant Alice was found to provide responses supportive of Joseph Stalin, violence, domestic violence, and opposing gay marriage. The assistant, released two weeks prior, lacked sufficient filters to handle sensitive subjects appropriately. Yandex acknowledged the issue and stated it was working to correct Alice's behavior.
- Company involved
- Yandex
- AI system involved
- Alice
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Texas A&M Professor Uses ChatGPT to Falsely Accuse Students of Cheating
Jared Mumm, an instructor at Texas A&M University–Commerce, used ChatGPT to check if students' writing was AI-generated, leading him to accuse them of using the chatbot. He informed students they would receive an incomplete grade and those deemed guilty would get a zero, causing distress and temporarily withholding one student's diploma. The university investigated and stated that no students failed or were barred from graduating, and the professor is working individually with students to resolve the issue.
- Company involved
- Texas A&M University–Commerce
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Fable apologises after AI reader summaries generate offensive content
Book tracking app Fable's AI-generated annual reading summaries produced offensive remarks about users' race, gender, sexuality, and disability. Users, including Tiana Trammell and Danny B. Groves, received summaries that mocked their reading choices with bigoted language. Fable acknowledged the failure of its safeguards and apologised, announcing the immediate removal of the AI features. Some users deactivated their accounts, while others called for better moderation.
- Company involved
- Fable
4 source articles · read the reporting →
AMS algorithm lacks transparency and may discriminate against job seekers
The Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) uses an algorithm to classify job seekers into categories A, B, and C, determining their access to benefits and training. Scientists from TU Wien, WU Wien, and University of Vienna have criticised the algorithm for lacking transparency, as only two of 96 model variants have been published. They allege that the system may discriminate against women and people with migration background, and that job seekers are not informed about how the algorithm works or given a chance to appeal.
- Company involved
- AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich)
- AI system involved
- AMS-Algorithmus
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Educational Testing Service's E-rater algorithm biases essay scores against minority students
The Educational Testing Service's E-rater algorithm, used to grade essays on the GRE and other standardized tests, has been found to systematically give higher scores to students from mainland China and lower scores to African American students compared to human graders. The bias stems from the algorithm's reliance on surface-level metrics like vocabulary and sentence length, which disadvantage certain groups. Despite studies dating back to 1999, the bias persists, and in many states, only a small percentage of essays are reviewed by humans.
- Company involved
- Educational Testing Service
- AI system involved
- E-rater
10 source articles · read the reporting →
NSW Education Standards Authority used AI-generated image in HSC English exam without disclosure
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) used an AI-generated image as a stimulus in the 2024 HSC English exam without disclosing its origin. The image, created by Florian Schroeder using OpenAI's ChatGPT and Dall-E 2, was published on Medium in July 2023. Students suspected AI use due to irregularities in the image, and NESA initially declined to confirm. After the Sydney Morning Herald confirmed the image was AI-generated, NESA stated that students would be marked on their response to the question, not the image's origin.
- Company involved
- NSW Education Standards Authority
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT and Dall-E 2
6 source articles · read the reporting →
UBC students raise concerns over Proctorio's privacy breach and discrimination
The University of British Columbia (UBC) uses Proctorio, an algorithmic test proctoring software, for remote exams. In June 2020, a UBC student reported an issue with Proctorio, and the company's CEO released the student's support chat logs, sparking privacy concerns. The AMS of UBC published an open letter alleging that Proctorio discriminates against students of colour, those with disabilities, and other groups by flagging 'abnormal' behaviours and denying access. The letter calls on UBC to end its contract with Proctorio and conduct an external audit.
- Company involved
- University of British Columbia
- AI system involved
- Proctorio
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Middle schooler beats Edgenuity grading algorithm to get perfect score
A seventh-grade student in the Los Angeles Unified School District received a failing grade on a history assignment graded by Edgenuity's automated scoring algorithm. With help from his mother, a history professor, he reverse-engineered the algorithm by writing a paragraph with relevant keywords and a jumble of words, earning a perfect score. The incident highlights concerns about the accuracy and fairness of automated grading systems in education.
- Company involved
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- AI system involved
- Edgenuity
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Proctorio's exam proctoring system allows human agents to review student feeds despite privacy claims
A security researcher analyzed Proctorio's Chrome extension and found evidence that the system allows human agents to review students' room scans and live ID checks, contrary to Proctorio's claims that only professors can access recordings. The system flags students based on behavioral metrics and can terminate exams. The researcher also raised concerns about discrimination against low-income students and privacy violations.
- Company involved
- Proctorio
- AI system involved
- Proctorio
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Student flagged by ProctorU for reading aloud during exam
A college student, Dana Jo, was flagged by ProctorU test proctoring software for talking during an exam, which she says was reading a question aloud. Her professor initially gave her a zero and placed an academic infraction on her record, jeopardizing her scholarships. After reviewing a video recording, the professor apologized, reinstated her grade, and removed the infraction. ProctorU's CEO stated that the incident highlights the importance of video recordings for review.
- Company involved
- University (not named)
- AI system involved
- ProctorU
5 source articles · read the reporting →
Wisconsin’s dropout prediction algorithm labels students high risk with racial bias
Wisconsin’s Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS) uses machine learning to predict middle school students' likelihood of graduating on time, relying on factors including race and income. The Markup found the algorithm frequently mislabels students, with a higher false alarm rate for Black and Hispanic students. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has not informed schools of the racial disparities and continues to use the system.
- Company involved
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- AI system involved
- Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
California bar exam facial recognition system fails to verify Arab-American student's identity
Ahmed Alamri, an Arab-American law student, was unable to register for the practice California bar exam because ExamSoft's facial recognition system repeatedly failed to recognize his face, citing poor lighting. Alamri attempted to verify his identity over 75 times in different rooms and lighting conditions without success. He and other students filed an emergency petition with the California Supreme Court, alleging that the system discriminates against people of color. The incident highlights concerns about bias in facial recognition technology used for exam proctoring.
- Company involved
- California State Bar
- AI system involved
- ExamSoft
10 source articles · read the reporting →
UW-Madison disables Honorlock after skin tone recognition failure
The University of Wisconsin-Madison disabled the exam pause feature of its Honorlock anti-cheating software in March 2021 after three students complained that the software failed to recognize their darker skin tones and paused their exams. The software, used since online classes began, automatically pauses exams when it cannot detect facial features. Honorlock denied the issue was related to skin tone, attributing it to students looking away from their webcams. The university responded by disabling the feature.
- Company involved
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- AI system involved
- Honorlock
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Retorio AI personality test swayed by candidate appearance in BR experiment
Bayerischer Rundfunk journalists conducted experiments with Retorio's AI video interview analysis tool. The AI, which assesses personality traits from short videos, produced different scores when the same actress changed her appearance (glasses, headscarf, wig) or the video background and lighting were altered. The start-up Retorio acknowledged that the AI considers external image, similar to a human interviewer. Experts warned that such software could perpetuate stereotypes and unfairly affect job candidates.
- AI system involved
- Retorio AI
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Airbnb smart-pricing algorithm increased racial revenue gap, study finds
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that Airbnb's smart-pricing algorithm increased the revenue gap between White and Black hosts, even though it narrowed the gap among hosts who adopted it. The algorithm, which sets daily prices automatically, was adopted by fewer Black hosts, so its suggested prices were closer to the optimum for White hosts. The researchers said the tool could reduce racial disparities only if more Black hosts adopted it.
- Company involved
- Airbnb
- AI system involved
- Airbnb smart-pricing algorithm
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Adobe uses Creative Cloud user data to train AI
Adobe's content analysis feature may scan Creative Cloud and Document Cloud files to train machine learning models, including object recognition in Lightroom and Liquid Mode in Acrobat. The company says it may analyze images, audio, video, text and other documents stored on its servers. Adobe offers an opt-out in account privacy settings, but the article notes the company did not ask first.
- Company involved
- Adobe
- AI system involved
- Content analysis
10 source articles · read the reporting →
South Korea's AI textbook program rolled back after complaints
South Korea's Ministry of Education launched AI-powered digital textbooks in March 2025 for math, English, and computer science. Students, teachers, and parents complained about technical problems, inaccuracies, and data privacy risks. After four months, the textbooks were stripped of official status and made optional. The program was criticized for being rushed and insufficiently tested.
- Company involved
- South Korean Ministry of Education
- AI system involved
- AI-powered textbooks
7 source articles · read the reporting →
UIUC students petition to stop Proctorio exam proctoring over privacy concerns
A petition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) alleges that Proctorio, an online exam proctoring system, violates student privacy by accessing websites, downloads, screen content, and app settings. The petition claims the terms of service allow monitoring by 'any other means necessary', which students find unsettling. The petition, created on September 30, 2020, gathered 1,087 supporters but does not report any specific incident of harm. It calls on UIUC to discontinue use of Proctorio in favour of alternatives.
- Company involved
- UIUC
- AI system involved
- Proctorio
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Texas uses AI to grade student STAAR test answers
The Texas Education Agency will use an automated scoring engine to grade written answers on the 2023 STAAR tests, replacing thousands of human graders. The system uses natural language processing and will initially score all responses, with a quarter rescored by humans. Educators have expressed concerns about the system's fairness and the potential for errors, especially for creative or non-standard answers.
- Company involved
- Texas Education Agency
- AI system involved
- automated scoring engine
10 source articles · read the reporting →
