Study Shows AI Inverts Homework-Test Score Link in China
Posts share a study showing AI homework use now links high grades to lower exam scores among Chinese students.
TLDR
Nicholas Thompson posted a chart from a new study on student AI use in China. Good grades on homework used to predict good grades on tests but now might mean the opposite. Paul Novosad said using AI for homework gets it done faster and earns a higher grade but leads to worse exam performance. Ethan Mollick noted cheating was already widespread before AI because students copied from the internet.
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NX 
nxthompson@nxthompsonA shocking chart from a new study on student AI use in China. Good grades on homework used to predict good grades on tests. Now, it might mean the opposite. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/08/18/does-ai-stop-children-from-learning
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PN Paul Novosad@paulnovosadEvery college syllabus should include these graphs. Use AI for homework, you will get it done faster and get a higher grade, and then get crushed on the exam.
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EM Ethan Mollick@emollickThis is a good paper and AI has definitely made the cheating problem worse but it is easy to overlook how bad it was before AI. Doing homework improved final test grades for 86% of college students students in 2008 but only 45% in 2017 because they were copying off the internet…
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BR Brad Reed@bwrrs66@nxthompson Worst human invention since the atom bomb. It's going to turn humanity into morons.
VE Veli@ChaoticEwil@paulnovosad AI makes people braindead. Proven again.
MJ Mary jane@Maryjan18598918@paulnovosad Thank you for always delivering value.