“We want to avoid AI use being limited to copy and paste”
INTERVIEW WITH MARC B. ESCOLÀ. The academic protonotary of the European University of Andorra (eUniv) explains the measures the institution has taken to respond to the rise of artificial intelligence in the academic field.
Q. The European University has decided to strengthen the weight of exams in the evaluation process. What led you to adopt this measure?
A. Yes, we have made the strategic decision that all courses must include exams or tests with a weighting of over 50%. The reason is simple: nowadays, the use of artificial intelligence in academic work is an undeniable reality. If evaluation relied solely on assignments, there would be a high risk of fraud. That would undermine the credibility of our degrees. And as a responsible institution, we cannot allow that.
Q. Have you discussed this issue with other universities?
A. Yes, over the past few years, we’ve had many discussions with other higher education institutions. The general consensus is that we must demonstrate to society that university degrees are the result of rigorous evaluation. And the clearest way to do this is to return to the oral exam, especially to verify whether students actually understand the work they have submitted.
Q. Are you against students using AI?
A. Not at all. We are not against students using AI. In fact, it’s like consulting an encyclopedia or using other sources. What we do require is that they be able to demonstrate they understand the content of the work they’ve submitted. The tool is valid; what we want to avoid is AI use being limited to copy and paste.
“EXAMS ACCOUNT FOR OVER 50% OF THE GRADE IN ALL COURSES”
Q. How will this oral defense of assignments work?
A. Starting next academic year, once a student submits an assignment, they will have to defend it using specific software. There’s no need to convene a panel—it can be done at any time, and the student has full flexibility. The oral defense will last about 15 minutes, or 30 minutes for final degree projects.
Q. What will be assessed during the defense?
A. There will be ten predefined items that students will know in advance. We’ll assess aspects such as language quality, structure of the argument, use of references, and clarity of presentation. The European University’s proprietary AI, named RAY, listens to the presentation and asks questions based on what is said, not on what is written in the paper.
Q. Will the RAY program act as an assessment tool?
A. No, it will only produce a guidance report for the instructor. This report will indicate the level reached in each evaluated item but won’t replace the teacher’s judgment, which remains the only formal assessment authority. Additionally, RAY generates a second report on the credibility of the work. This second report is highly subjective and not used for grading, but it can serve as a warning for the instructor.
“THE STUDENT MUST ORALLY DEFEND THEIR ASSIGNMENTS USING SOFTWARE”
Q. Does this system help detect AI-generated work?
A. Yes, in fact, RAY can detect words and structures typical of AI-generated texts, which often don’t match a student’s usual communication pattern. This is very helpful in raising doubts about authorship, but again, it’s only for guidance—it’s not definitive proof.
Q. Are exams conducted online or in person?
A. Exams are conducted online, but with a dual control system: facial recognition and keystroke dynamics. These two methods are used simultaneously because individually they could be vulnerable. Also, the entire exam is recorded, and if there’s any suspicion of cheating, it can be reviewed. Only if a student refuses both control methods do they have to take the exam in person.
Q. Has the rise of AI forced eUniv to reject students from other universities?
A. Yes, we’ve decided not to accept students from universities that don’t require exams, out of institutional responsibility and to protect the university system. We’ve received many transcript transfer requests, but we can’t validate courses if we can’t be sure they were properly passed. What students can do is start over with us.
Q. Do you think other institutions will respond similarly?
A. Absolutely. Many universities—in the Anglosphere, in Europe, and in Asia—are already studying similar measures. If we don’t respond to AI, we risk university degrees becoming worthless pieces of paper.
