The students claimed that an AI-generated image was used in their first Higher School Certificate (HSC) exam.
As reported by News.com.au, the image, featuring a laptop on a desk with a mug, phones, and wires against a mountain backdrop, was part of a prompt that required students to compare it to an extract from Elizabeth Strout’s novel My Name is Lucy Barton.
Approximately 60,000 students sat for the exam, with the controversial image tied to a five-point question in a 40-mark section.
While the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) confirmed the image was sourced from an online article discussing digital detox, students expressed frustration, accusing NESA of hypocrisy.
“If you’re going to use this new technology because it’s easier and more suited, why can’t we?” one student complained.
NESA has clarified that whether students perceived the image as AI-generated or not will not affect their exam results, but online criticism has continued.
Should educators be held to the same standards regarding AI use as students?
