10 Sources
[1]
China shuts down AI tools during nationwide college exams
Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews. Chinese AI companies have temporarily paused some of their chatbot features to prevent students from using them to cheat
[2]
China Temporarily Shuts Down AI Apps to Stop Cheating During National Exams
One of the biggest concerns in education right now is how students are using artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to cheat their way through projects. But it's not just US students; China is shutting down certain AI features during important exam periods. As Bloomberg
[3]
Alibaba, Tencent Freeze AI Tools During High-Stakes China Exam
China's most popular AI chatbots like Alibaba's Qwen have temporarily disabled functions including picture recognition, to prevent students from cheating during the country's annual "gaokao" college entrance examinations. Apps including Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s Yuanbao and Moonshot's Kimi suspended
[4]
China's AI firms restrict chatbot features during exam season to prevent cheating
In brief: The problem of students using AI to cheat on their exams has become a major headache for schools around the world. But China has come up with a solution that could prove effective: AI companies are suspending some of their chatbots' features during exam seasons. Makers of some of China's
[5]
China Takes on Student Cheating by Shutting Off AI Nationwide During Exams
How do you make sure that kids aren't using artificial intelligence tools to cheat on their final exams? Easy, just flip the off switch. According to Bloomberg, Chinese AI companies have shut down their AI chatbots, rendering them unavailable while students across the country take their annual
[6]
China deploys AI bans, jammers to protect college entrance tests
Students study with tablets and notebooks in a library ahead of China's gaokao exams. Major Chinese tech firms, including Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent, have temporarily disabled some AI chatbot functions during the ongoing nationwide college entrance exams, Bloomberg reports. The move aims to
[7]
Chinese AI firms block features amid high-stakes university entrance exams
Students sitting for the notoriously grueling gaokao were subject to intensive surveillance, and AI companies appeared to join the anti-cheating barrage. As more than 13 million students filed into rooms across China to sit for the notoriously grueling, high-stakes gaokao college entrance exam,
[8]
Chinese tech firms freeze AI tools in crackdown on exam cheats
Suspension comes as 13m students take four-day gaokao tests for limited spots at country's universities Big Chinese tech companies appear to have turned off some AI functions to prevent cheating during the country's highly competitive university entrance exams. More than 13.3 million students are
[9]
China's Tech giants put a pin on AI tools during the High Stakes GaoKao Exams, as a way to control AI-driven Cheating
With the commencement Gaokao entrance examinations, highly competitive national university entrance exam, a number of China's technology giants, including Alibaba and Tencent, have decided to disable key AI features on their platforms to prevent students from resorting to cheating. Disabling the
[10]
Alibaba, Tencent freeze AI tools during high-stakes China exam
To prevent cheating during China's crucial 'gaokao' college entrance exams, popular AI chatbots like Alibaba's Qwen have temporarily disabled picture recognition. Apps such as Tencent's Yuanbao and Moonshot's Kimi also suspended these services during exam hours. With 13.4 million students
Share
Copy Link
Chinese AI companies have temporarily suspended certain features of their chatbots and AI tools during the nationwide college entrance exams to prevent students from cheating, highlighting the growing concern of AI use in education.
In a bold move to maintain the integrity of its national college entrance examinations, China has implemented a temporary shutdown of certain AI tools across the country. This decision comes as millions of students prepare to take the high-stakes "gaokao" exams, which determine their eligibility for higher education
1
.Major Chinese tech companies have responded to the government's initiative by disabling specific features of their AI chatbots and tools during the exam period. Alibaba's Qwen and ByteDance's Doubao have suspended picture recognition capabilities for exam-related questions, while Tencent's Yuanbao and Moonshot's Kimi have completely halted photo-recognition services during exam hours
2
.When users attempt to access these features, they are met with messages explaining the temporary suspension. For instance, DeepSeek informs users that "To ensure the fairness of the college entrance examinations, this function cannot be used during the test period"
3
.The gaokao, or National College Entrance Exam (NCEE), is a rigorous three-day assessment that plays a crucial role in determining the academic future of Chinese students. This year, approximately 13.3 million students are participating in the exam, which spans nine hours across three days
4
.
Source: PC Magazine
While AI tools are being restricted for student use, the technology is still being employed to enhance exam security. Some regions are utilizing AI surveillance systems to detect "abnormal behaviors" such as whispering or repeated glances at neighboring papers, which might escape human proctors' notice
5
.Related Stories
China's approach to preventing AI-assisted cheating stands in stark contrast to strategies employed in other countries, particularly the United States. While China has taken a centralized approach to restricting AI tools, the U.S. lacks a unified strategy, partly due to the absence of centralized national exams like the gaokao
2
.In fact, the U.S. government has recently expressed interest in promoting AI literacy and integration in education. An executive order from April states the intention to "promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans by promoting the appropriate integration of AI into education"
2
.
Source: ET
The temporary suspension of AI features has sparked discussions on Chinese social media platforms. Some users have expressed frustration at being unable to access these tools for non-exam-related purposes. One Weibo post captured the sentiment: "College entrance exam candidates, you are all shit. I can't use DeepSeek to upload pictures, I have to download ChatGPT again, I hope you all go to community college"
5
.
Source: Gizmodo
As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various aspects of education and daily life, the challenge of balancing technological advancement with academic integrity remains a global concern. China's approach to this issue during the gaokao exams provides a unique case study in addressing the complexities of AI in education.
Summarized by
Navi
03 Dec 2025•Entertainment and Society

09 Jul 2026•Entertainment and Society

20 Jul 2026•Entertainment and Society

1
Technology

2
Policy and Regulation

3
Technology
