Brown University Professor Denounces Mass AI Fraud on Take-Home Exam

What happened

Brown University economics professor Roberto Serrano publicly exposed on June 28 that nearly his entire ECON 1170 class used generative AI on the take-home exam.

Context and impact

The median score was 98% and 40 of 86 students achieved a perfect score — a statistically impossible distribution. Serrano identified ChatGPT-style 'convoluted contradiction proofs' and identical wrong answers across study groups. The case has gone viral in the academic integrity debate, and Brown is returning to in-person exams for this course.

Details

• Median 98%, 40/86 students earned 100%
• Identical wrong answers across groups served as the digital fingerprint
• Serrano published the findings as an open essay
• Brown plans tighter rules for take-home exams