ecopro News Artificial intelligence forces educational institutions to return to oral exams
Artificial intelligence forces educational institutions to return to oral exams

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence into the educational process is forcing the academic community to radically rethink traditional methods of assessing knowledge. According to European specialized media, including Euronews, educators are increasingly reporting cases where students demonstrate high results in written assignments but do not actually comprehend their content. Since existing software tools for detecting generated content remain unreliable, verifying the authenticity of independent, out-of-classroom work has become nearly impossible.

In response to these challenges, institutions of higher and secondary education are returning to the practice of oral examinations, in-class testing, and mandatory public defenses of assignments. For a long time, the modern educational model was based on information reproduction and the mechanical execution of tasks — functions that AI has now automated. Consequently, submitting a finished text is no longer considered a criterion for success; students are now required to demonstrate the ability to argue their position and answer follow-up questions in real time.

Despite the obvious benefits of technology for personalized learning and research optimization, the key risk remains the development of students' overreliance on digital assistants, which leads to a superficial understanding of the material. In light of this, the priority of modern education is shifting toward developing and verifying critical thinking skills and the ability to solve complex problems on the spot. It is these competencies that serve as the ultimate proof of a future professional's intellectual independence.