A new study reveals a dramatic surge in top-tier grades at a large Texas research university, with A's jumping 30% in classes where AI tools like ChatGPT are most applicable. The findings, from UC Berkeley researcher Igor Chirikov, specifically highlight the period since ChatGPT's 2022 launch as a turning point.
Chirikov warns the trend is not merely about marginal improvements. 'We have a C student who is now an A student,' he told Axios, suggesting AI is fundamentally reshaping grade distributions in fields such as English composition and computer coding.
The study examined grade data from 2018 to 2025 at a selective university with over 50,000 students. Crucially, grades remained flat in hands-on disciplines like sculpture and lab-based courses, underscoring AI's role as the driving force behind the inflation.
This comes as universities already grappled with high rates of A and B grades. The deeper worry, Chirikov argues, is that graduates may be proficient at leveraging AI without achieving genuine subject mastery, leaving them knowledgeable about prompts but not their fields of study.
Chirikov declined to name the specific university to avoid singling it out, emphasizing the trend is likely widespread. The study serves as a stark data point in the ongoing debate over AI's impact on academic integrity and the value of a degree.