plowunited.net – As more than 13.3 million students begin China’s national college entrance exams. Known as the gaokao, major tech companies have taken unprecedented steps to prevent AI-assisted cheating. The four-day exam period, which began on Saturday, has seen several popular generative AI apps restrict or disable services. Companies like ByteDance, Tencent, Alibaba, and others have temporarily turned off functions such as image recognition and question answering during exam hours. This unexpected move has impacted not only test-takers but also university students and general users who rely on these tools for study and work.
Screenshots posted online show that ByteDance’s Doubao app declines to answer academic queries, stating, “During the college entrance examination, according to relevant requirements, the question answering service will be suspended.” When users try to bypass the restriction by saying the question is unrelated to the exam, the app still refuses to respond. DeepSeek, a newer AI platform, has also disabled its services during key exam hours, citing the need to “ensure fairness” during gaokao week. Students have taken to social media to complain, highlighting how the temporary blackout disrupted their academic routines.
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Tencent, Alibaba, and Others Join in AI Feature Suspension
Beyond ByteDance and DeepSeek, several other AI platforms have imposed restrictions. Tencent’s Yuanbao, Alibaba’s Qwen, and Moonshot’s Kimi have all suspended image recognition features, preventing users from uploading photos of problems or notes. These companies have not issued public statements, but user complaints have exposed the widespread nature of the blackout.
The impact of these actions extends beyond high school students. University students relying on AI for thesis work or study support expressed frustration. One user on Weibo posted sarcastically, “College entrance exam candidates, you are all shit,” complaining they had to reinstall ChatGPT to complete assignments. While the restrictions are aimed at preserving exam integrity, they have unintentionally affected a broader user base.
Government Uses Surveillance Tools to Enforce Exam Fairness
Chinese authorities are also ramping up physical and digital surveillance to maintain fairness during the exams. In addition to restricting AI apps, some regions have implemented AI-driven monitoring systems in exam halls. These systems can detect abnormal behavior such as whispering, glancing, or body movements that may indicate cheating. In Jiangxi province, surveillance footage will be analyzed after the test period. And any suspicious activity will be strictly investigated and penalized according to state regulations.
Enhanced measures also include biometric verification at exam centers, increased security checks, and scanning for electronic devices. Radio signal jammers are deployed at test venues to block wireless communication. These layers of scrutiny demonstrate how seriously the Chinese education system treats the integrity of the gaokao. Officials emphasize that even minor infractions could lead to severe consequences for candidates.
National Priorities Reflect Pressure and Prestige of Gaokao
The intensity of China’s college entrance exams underscores their role as a critical gateway to social mobility. For students, scoring well on the gaokao can determine admission to elite universities and influence their long-term career opportunities. The pressure is immense, with families investing years into preparation through tutoring, study schedules, and mock exams. In rural or less developed regions, a high gaokao score often represents one of the few pathways out of poverty.
This year’s AI restrictions and government enforcement reflect growing concerns that emerging technologies could compromise the fairness of the process. By disabling key AI features and implementing strict surveillance, authorities aim to preserve the exam’s credibility. While the measures may frustrate non-exam users, the broader goal remains clear: protecting the integrity of one of the most significant academic milestones in the country.
