499 yuan AI fraud software invaded the SAT, the United States immediately fixed the vulnerability

American college entrance examinationsat Facing the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) fraud. One costs $499 and only acceptscryptocurrency Paid software can read questions during the exam, use AI to solve questions in real time, and then display the answers on the candidate’s computer screen.new York Times According to reports, the College Board, the organizer of the SAT, has taken technical and legal measures to prevent disruption, and plans to adjust the global testing schedule in 2027 to prevent cross-time zone leaks of questions.

This cheating software, called Auto SAT, can bypass the screen lock restrictions of the SAT testing program, send test questions to an AI chatbot, and then mark correct answers to multiple-choice questions with small dots. It may also provide answers to non-multiple choice questions. The software also reminds users not to reply too quickly. When the inspector approaches, as long as he stops moving the mouse, the answer prompt will disappear.

In March of this year, the College Board learned that the Auto SAT was being sold online and immediately purchased the software for the test, modified the test program and design to prevent it from working, filed a complaint against the developer, and requested that the website be removed from the shelves. Organizers said they found four candidates using the software in March, but the lawsuit was ultimately dropped, in part because court documents were never served on the defendants.

Apart from AI cheating tools, leaking of questions across time zones is also a major concern. Due to different exam times around the world, candidates in New Zealand and other locations may take the exam several hours earlier than in other countries. Fraudsters take advantage of this opportunity to copy questions and sell them in areas where exams are later taken. In March this year, SAT tutors and candidates in Uzbekistan reported that test questions had appeared on the communications software Telegram five hours before the local exam was scheduled to begin.

In October, European tutors also reported that suspected leaked test questions were broadcast on the morning of exam day. Another website mimics the name of BlueBook, the official SAT testing program, and provides test questions to users for a fee. The organizer has not confirmed the authenticity of these questions, but in order to prevent cheating across time zones, it plans to adjust the SAT global testing schedule in 2027 to reduce the difference in test start times in different regions.

The SAT will switch to digital testing in 2024. Originally it hoped to reduce the leakage of test questions, but now it faces new information security challenges. The College Board has banned candidates from wearing AI smart glasses and has begun tracking keyboard inputs and mouse movements at some testing locations. Since the digital SAT will adjust subsequent test questions based on the candidate’s performance on previous questions, questions vary from place to place and even on different computers, which may also reduce the risk of cheating.

The College Board stressed that despite occasional security issues, the Digital SAT is generally secure, and the proportion of test-takers with high scores has not been too unusual. However, the constant innovation of AI tools and the fact that fraudsters take advantage of time differences between countries to sell test questions have forced organizers to continue adjusting anti-fraud measures.