#Assessmentdesign

China paused several AI chatbot services during the gaokao, the country’s high-stakes college entrance exam, to safeguard exam integrity. Leading AI firms publicly disabled image-recognition and question-answering features during exam hours, with messages citing a commitment to fairness. The move was echoed by multiple platforms, and a viral AI service also restricted access in line with exam protection efforts. Authorities already ban phones and laptops in exam halls, but concerns about covert AI assistance before and during tests have grown among students, parents, and educators. Social media chatter on Weibo reflected broad anxiety about fairness in a tech-driven academic era.