High Court issues notice to university for failing student overuse of AI in exam

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notice to O P Jindal Global University , Sonipat, on a petition by a postgraduate law student challenging its decision to declare him unsuccessful in an exam for allegedly using AI to generate "submissions" to questions on a particular subject.

Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri was hearing petitioner Kaustubh Shakkarwar's contention that the university's controller of examinations and the unfair means committee violated principles of natural justice by not giving him a hearing and producing documents crucial to the case.

Shakkarwar, a resident of Hyderabad Estate in Mumbai, is pursuing an LLM degree in intellectual property rights and technology law. According to the petition, the university was still to submit "sufficient proof" confirming the use of AI-generated material in Shakkarwar's exam submissions on the subject "Law and justice in a globalising world".

Shakkarwar, a practising IP lawyer and AI entrepreneur, also questioned if there was any clear rule prohibiting the use of AI in an exam.

On being informed that he didn't clear the exam, Shakkarwar appealed the decision before the examination appellate committee. He alleged that the controller of examinations dismissed the appeal without a hearing after a four-month delay. Justice Puri will next hear the case on Nov 14.