The University of Cape Town UCT has made a decisive move in the global education debate on artificial intelligence AI by officially adopting a university-wide framework that sets out how AI technologies should be integrated into teaching, learning and assessment.
The move comes with a major shift. UCT will no longer use detection tools like Turnitins AI Score to identify machine-generated student work from October 1, a decision that has sparked both praise and questions from academic experts.
The move comes with a major shift. UCT will no longer use detection tools like Turnitins AI Score to identify machine-generated student work from October 1, a decision that has sparked both praise and questions from academic experts.
The UCT AI in Education Framework, endorsed by the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee in June, is grounded in promoting AI literacy among staff and students, ensuring integrity in assessment practices and investing in innovation for future-ready curricula. At the heart of the framework is the decision to discontinue the use of unreliable AI detection tools, which the university says risk undermining student trust and fairness.
While UCTs framework signals a proactive shift, some experts argue it has come too late. Education specialist Prof Jonathan Jansen acknowledged the importance of the move but criticised the higher education sector for being slow to adapt.
What UCT is doing now should have been done five years ago, he said. Weve known for a long time that AI poses a threat to assessment integrity. South African universities are very slow to adapt.
He added that most institutions still lack policy guidance on AI, leaving students and lecturers in the dark. You cant discipline a student unless theres a policy that pre-exists the practice. Were only waking up now, and Im afraid the horse has already bolted.
AI and tech analyst Arthur Goldstuck shared similar views, noting that other South African universities such as Pretoria and Wits have already begun developing AI-related guidelines. UCT is certainly not ahead of the curve, theyre playing catch-up, said Goldstuck, who is also the author of The Hitchhikers Guide to AI.