The man who came first in South Korea's national exam for aspiring tax accountants this year has admitted that his result was not his own work. In a public apology on Sunday, he said generative artificial intelligence had helped him get there, Reuters reported.
Doubts about him had been building for a while. He had answered hundreds of questions almost without error across two exams, one in April and the other in July, and his scores quickly became the subject of suspicion.
Identifying himself only by his surname, Han, the exam topper apologised in a video posted on the YouTube channel ‘Attorney Lee Don-ho'.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
ALSO READ | Engineer Loses Rs 83 lakh In Stock Trading, Becomes Swiggy Delivery Partner
“I cheated using electronic devices and generative AI. My passing the exam with the top score was not the result of fair effort,” he said, appearing on camera with his face covered by a mask.
According to Han, a microcamera let him snap pictures of the questions during the test. Those pictures went to an AI tool, and the answers came back to him on a smartphone.
Seoul police now have his confession in writing, Han said. Reuters said it tried calling the Seoul Jungbu police station on Sunday but got no response.
ALSO READ | 'Being 21 In Mumbai': Woman's October Expense Breakdown Sparks Online Interest
Alarm Ahead Of College Entrance Exam
The timing could hardly be worse for the government. On Thursday, just four days away, students across the country will sit the annual college entrance exam, a test that many have been working towards for years. Since exam results play such a big role in shaping people's jobs and futures in South Korea, the case has struck a nerve.
The government has moved quickly to respond. “The presidential office views the matter very seriously, and because the college entrance exam is next week, we have been working hard to prepare countermeasures,” a senior official from the presidential office told reporters on Sunday.
The same official flagged separate reports of possible cheating in the certified public accountant exam as a cause for worry. To deal with the matter, the presidential chief of staff for policy called an emergency meeting for Sunday afternoon.
ALSO READ | 'Signing It...': Musk Says He Is Signing Petition To Reinstate Jensen Huang As Nvidia CEO
Concern at the top of government predates Han's confession. Speaking on Friday, Prime Minister Han Seok-sook said she was aware that people were worried about students using AI to cheat in the upcoming college exam. Her office said the government “will prepare thoroughly in advance and closely oversee the process until the very end” so the exam runs fairly and without disruption.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
