Amid widespread cheating using artificial intelligence (AI) at elite universities, the government is preparing Korea’s first official ethics framework to regulate how students use the technology.
According to Rep. Kim Yong-tae of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Thursday, the Ministry of Education is working with the Korean Council for University Education to develop AI ethics guidelines for university students.
The guidelines will outline how students can use AI ethically while maintaining a strict ban on academic misconduct. They are also expected to provide strategies for using AI effectively while minimizing “hallucinations” — instances in which the technology fabricates information — and provide measures to narrow gaps in AI literacy and access among students.
This will be the first time the government has issued guidelines on the proper use of generative AI in higher education.
The education ministry previously released guidelines for AI ethics in education in 2022, but the framework largely focused on privacy protection and data transparency in AI development, rather than practical guidance on academic use.
The government plans to secure funding and commission a research project early next year, bringing together education and AI experts to finalize the guidelines. Drawing on overseas examples, including Harvard University in the United States, officials are considering separate versions for professors and students.
In addition, the government is reviewing how AI-driven cheating has unfolded on university campuses and how school authorities have responded. Based on the findings, officials plan to gather feedback from professors, students and other stakeholders as early as the end of this year.
The government is reportedly scrutinizing incidents at Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University, where revelations of large-scale cheating have stunned the public.
The education ministry said it recognizes the need to strengthen AI ethics awareness among university students, adding that once the government provides a basic set of guidelines, individual universities will be able to adapt and apply them according to their circumstances.
Because academic affairs are governed by each university’s internal regulations, the guidelines will not carry legal force. Still, experts say government-level direction could prompt meaningful action on campuses, especially given the current absence of clear standards.
“Universities can technically manage AI guidelines on their own, but many hesitate because they want to see what other schools are doing and how the education ministry views the issue,” said Song Ki-chang, an honorary professor of education at Sookmyung Women’s University. “It is appropriate for the government to present broad principles, while leaving the details to individual universities.”
As the ministry serves as the main governmental authority over higher education institutions, their proposals will likely be reflected in university regulations, which ultimately fall under laws regulating education.
While guidelines for student learning and use are necessary, controversy also persists across academia over how or whether AI should be allowed in teaching, research and academic writing.
“It would be helpful if the guidelines also clarify how much professors and graduate students conducting research can rely on AI when writing papers,” Song said.
