The skills that earn top grades are the ones AI can fake best

A study of 1,053 Bocconi University students found that using GPT-4o on marketing assignments improved grades by nearly one full point on a five-point scale. While the tool effectively boosted performance, researchers noted that the exercise did not measure whether students achieved actual learning or retained knowledge. These findings highlight a growing disconnect in higher education, where the specific skills rewarded by grading rubrics are increasingly easy for AI to replicate, potentially undermining long-term academic development.