Alcorn professor uses hidden prompt to catch AI cheating on TikTok

History professor Jason Gibson at Alcorn State University went viral on TikTok after he disclosed a method for detecting AI-assisted cheating. In his first video, he showed that 32 of 35 students missed a portion of a midterm because he had embedded invisible white text instructing them to place the word "Madagascar" in their essays, a requirement unrelated to the Industrial Revolution topic. He noted that only two students contested the grades, with one overturning hers after claiming she read the hidden instruction in dark mode.

Subsequent videos displayed bizarre student submissions that included the random word, and Gibson said he will not employ the trick again, citing the robotic feel of AI-generated writing. He also released the final grade distribution: eight A's, 14 B's, 10 C's, two D's and one F. Educators, including Amy Bruckman of Georgia Institute of Technology, weighed in, arguing that teaching proper AI use may be more effective than strict policing.