Harrisburg University facial recognition to predict criminals sparks bias row
Harrisburg University researchers claimed their facial recognition software could predict criminality from a photo, intended to help law enforcement prevent crime. Over 1,700 academics signed an open letter demanding the research remain unpublished, citing unsound scientific premises and racial bias. The paper was rejected by a Springer conference after peer review. The university removed its press release and said the paper was being updated to address concerns.
- Company involved
- Harrisburg University
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Korean universities introduce anti-cheating measures after AI misconduct
Students at Korea University, Yonsei University, and Seoul National University allegedly used generative AI tools like ChatGPT to cheat on online exams and quizzes. Korea University voided a midterm exam and plans to implement randomized questions and monitoring software for the affected course. Yonsei University has AI use guidelines but acknowledges they are not enforceable, while Seoul National University held a retest for one class. Investigations are ongoing, and it remains unclear whether students will face disciplinary action.
- Company involved
- Korea University, Yonsei University, Seoul National University
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
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Udemy automatically opts instructors into AI training with limited opt-out window
Udemy automatically opted instructors into having their classes used to train its generative AI program. Instructors were given a three-week window to opt out, which has now passed, leaving some unable to remove their content. Katie Stegs, an instructor, said she only found out via an email welcoming her to the program and found the opt-out option greyed out. Udemy defended the policy, citing the technical difficulty of removing data from AI models, while some instructors have left the platform in protest.
- Company involved
- Udemy
- AI system involved
- Generative AI Program (GenAI Program)
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Harvard student creates FaceTag facial recognition app raising privacy concerns
Harvard student Yuen Ler Chow created FaceTag, a facial recognition app that allows users to scan fellow students' faces to obtain their names and contact information. The app has raised privacy and ethical concerns among students and faculty, though Chow has implemented a permission feature to address some issues. No actual harm has been reported.
- Company involved
- Yuen Ler Chow
- AI system involved
- FaceTag
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Furman University student caught using ChatGPT to write essay
A student at Furman University allegedly used OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate an essay for an upper-level philosophy class. Professor Darren Hick detected the AI-generated text using the GPTZero detection tool. The incident highlights growing concerns about AI-assisted cheating in schools, with some districts like Los Angeles Unified blocking the chatbot.
- Company involved
- Furman University
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
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‘Tech Campus’ Revealed as Mega Data Center Devouring Water and Power—Residents Caught Off Guard
'기술 캠퍼스'라더니 물·전력 잡아먹는 초대형 데이터센터... 뒤늦게 안 주민들 - 한국일보
In Doña Ana County, New Mexico, a project initially described as a 'technology campus' turned out to be Project Jupiter, a massive AI data center that will use huge amounts of water and electricity. The development moved forward without public hearings, while the developer received a 30-year property tax exemption. Construction was suspended by the state Supreme Court after lawsuits over excessive water extraction and the alleged forgery of resident support letters.
- AI system involved
- Project Jupiter (Stargate)
1 source article · read the reporting →
Meazure Learning Agrees $1.35m California Bar Exam Class-Action Settlement - Lawyer Monthly
The exam software experienced technical failures that prevented candidates from logging in or completing the California bar exam.
- Company involved
- Meazure Learning
- AI system involved
- ProctorU
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI chatbots used to steal US college financial aid
Crime rings are deploying AI chatbots as 'ghost students' to enrol in online college courses and fraudulently collect US federal financial aid. Victims of identity theft, such as Heather Brady and Brittnee Nelson, discovered loans of over $9,000 and $5,000 respectively taken out in their names for colleges they never attended. The US Education Department introduced a temporary rule requiring government-issued ID for first-time aid applicants, while California community colleges reported losing at least $11.1 million to such scams.
- Company involved
- Delgado Community College
4 source articles · read the reporting →
University of Illinois Ends Proctorio Contract Over Accessibility Concerns
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced it will not renew its emergency contract with Proctorio, an online proctoring software, citing significant accessibility, privacy, and equity concerns. Students reported that the AI system unfairly flagged individuals with disabilities, nonwhite students, and those wearing headscarves as suspicious during exams. The decision follows student petitions and campaigns against the software, which they described as invasive spyware. The university is exploring alternative assessment methods.
- Company involved
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- AI system involved
- Proctorio
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Western Sydney University academic used AI to write opinion piece
Professor Cath Ellis, a pro vice chancellor at Western Sydney University, used Microsoft Copilot to write an opinion piece defending universities against claims of devalued qualifications. The piece was published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, but academics noticed AI-generated language patterns. The newspapers removed the article after learning AI was used without disclosure, and the university defended the use as appropriate.
- Company involved
- Western Sydney University
- AI system involved
- Copilot
1 source article · read the reporting →
University of Toronto exam monitoring software disadvantages BIPOC students
The University of Toronto continued using ProctorU and Examity exam monitoring software despite reports that the facial recognition technology fails to identify BIPOC students, causing stress and delays. Students like Maame Adjoa experienced the AI system being unable to verify their identity, requiring manual intervention. The university acknowledged the equity concerns but has not banned the software, while ProctorU stated that human proctors make final decisions. The issue has drawn criticism from US senators and researchers who highlight built-in bias in AI facial recognition.
- Company involved
- University of Toronto
- AI system involved
- ProctorU, Examity
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI detector falsely accuses student of cheating at Central Methodist University
Moira Olmsted, a student at Central Methodist University, submitted a written assignment and received a zero grade after her professor said an AI detection tool flagged her work as AI-generated. Olmsted alleges the accusation was false and that her writing had been flagged at least once before. The incident highlights the risk of AI detectors falsely accusing students of cheating.
- Company involved
- Central Methodist University
1 source article · read the reporting →
Urban Cyber Security VPN extension harvested AI chatbot prompts and responses
In July 2025, Urban Cyber Security updated its Urban VPN Proxy Chrome extension to automatically harvest everything users typed into major AI chatbots, including ChatGPT and Claude, as well as the chatbots' replies. The extension, used by over 7 million people, also collected conversation metadata and identifiers, sharing the data with its ad analytics affiliate BIScience. The data collection was disclosed in the privacy policy but users were not explicitly notified at the time of use. Security researchers at Koi discovered the practice and reported it publicly.
- Company involved
- Urban Cyber Security
- AI system involved
- Urban VPN Proxy
3 source articles · read the reporting →
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 →
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 →
UCLA abandons facial recognition plans after test reveals racial bias
UCLA had proposed using facial recognition surveillance on campus, scanning faces and checking them against a mugshot database. Fight for the Future tested Amazon Rekognition on photos of UCLA sports teams and faculty, finding that the software falsely matched 58 individuals, mostly people of color, with mugshot photos. Following community backlash and the test results, UCLA's administration announced it was abandoning the plan.
- Company involved
- UCLA
- AI system involved
- Rekognition
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Chinese university deploys facial recognition for attendance monitoring
A university in eastern China has installed a facial recognition system at its entrance and in two classrooms to monitor student attendance and behaviour. The system automatically captures students' faces without their cooperation. The pilot project is intended to improve attendance rates. No specific incidents of harm have been reported.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
University of Miami used surveillance to track student protesters
The University of Miami used video surveillance and possibly facial recognition technology to identify students who participated in a 'die-in' protest on September 4, 2020. The students were then summoned to a meeting with the dean of students. The university denied using facial recognition, but the police department's resume mentions its use. Students reported feeling anxious and watched.
- Company involved
- University of Miami
9 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 →
ProctorU threatens UC Santa Barbara faculty over privacy criticism
ProctorU, an online proctoring service, sent a legal threat letter to the University of California Santa Barbara faculty association after the association expressed concerns about ProctorU's data privacy policies. The letter, from ProctorU's lawyer, invoked defamation, copyright, and trademark claims, and was copied to state and federal prosecutors. The faculty association had asked the university to reconsider its relationship with ProctorU due to concerns about student data sharing.
- Company involved
- ProctorU
- AI system involved
- ProctorU
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ProctorU data breach exposes 444,000 user records
ProctorU, an online exam proctoring service, confirmed a data breach after a threat actor leaked a database of user records on a hacker forum. The database contained email addresses, names, addresses, phone numbers, and hashed passwords for approximately 444,000 users, including students from universities such as UCLA, Princeton, and Harvard, as well as U.S. military members. ProctorU stated that the breach involved records from 2014 and that they are investigating the incident.
- Company involved
- ProctorU
- AI system involved
- ProctorU
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Proctortrack data breach exposed student data from online proctoring
Proctortrack, an online proctoring service used by universities, suffered a data breach in September 2020 when its source code was leaked online. An analysis by Consumer Reports found that the code contained hard-coded passwords and exposed the names and email addresses of over 150 students. The company acknowledged the leak but said no harm resulted. Students had been required to use the software, which performed facial recognition and recorded video during exams.
- Company involved
- Proctortrack
- AI system involved
- Proctortrack
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 →
