WSJ Tech News Briefing: AI Is Making It Easier Than Ever for Students to Cheat
Release Date: March 19, 2025
Host/Author: The Wall Street Journal
Duration: Approx. 13 minutes

1. Introduction

In this episode of Tech News Briefing, host Victoria Craig delves into two major tech stories shaping the industry: Google's ambitious $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz, and the burgeoning use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by students to facilitate cheating in educational settings. The discussion provides insights into the strategic moves by tech giants and the evolving challenges educators face in the age of AI.

2. Google's $32 Billion Acquisition of Wiz: Bolstering Cloud Security

a. The Strategic Move

Victoria Craig opens the segment by highlighting Google's significant investment in Wiz, a leading cybersecurity firm. Berber Jin, the Wall Street Journal's reporter in San Francisco, provides an in-depth analysis of this monumental deal.

Berber Jin [01:49]:
“Google's acquisition here is essentially a way for them to bring in house a very hot cybersecurity product. And you can imagine them integrating it into their own suite of cloud services.”

This acquisition marks Google's largest ever, surpassing its 2012 purchase of Motorola Mobility. The move underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity in the expanding realm of cloud computing.

b. Impact of the Pandemic and Market Evolution

Jin explains that the pandemic was a catalyst for businesses migrating their data to the cloud, necessitating robust cybersecurity solutions.

Berber Jin [01:49]:
“There are a lot of great cybersecurity companies, but Wiz really distinguished itself for building a cybersecurity tool that businesses could really easily use to protect their data stored in any cloud.”

Wiz's compatibility with major cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle, along with its impressive clientele—including Morgan Stanley, Siemens, and DocuSign—made it an attractive acquisition target.

c. Regulatory Hurdles and FTC Scrutiny

Despite the strategic fit, the deal faces significant regulatory scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), especially under its new leadership committed to stringent reviews of mergers and acquisitions.

Berber Jin [04:15]:
“It's really unclear whether they're going to ultimately approve it. If Wiz entered into a deal with Google, they have to be feeling optimistic because there is a very hefty breakup fee that Google has to pay Wiz if it doesn't go through.”

The outcome of this acquisition is seen as a litmus test for the future of big tech mergers under the current regulatory environment.

3. AI Facilitating Student Cheating: Challenges in Education

a. The Rise of AI-Assisted Cheating

After a brief break featuring sponsored advertisements, Victoria Craig transitions to the primary topic: the increasing use of AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT by students to cheat on homework assignments.

Victoria Craig [06:45]:
“Platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT make it tantalizingly easy for teens to type in a prompt and get back a whole essay with citations.”

According to OpenAI, out of its 400 million users, students constitute the largest demographic. This widespread availability has raised alarms among educators and parents about the erosion of academic integrity and the potential stifling of critical thinking skills.

b. Student Perspectives and Misuse of AI

Matt Barnum, WSJ education reporter, sheds light on how students perceive and utilize AI for academic tasks.

Matt Barnum [07:43]:
“I talked to one 17-year-old high school student in New Jersey who described how she used AI to do a lot of her schoolwork last year. She used it to complete a math take-home quiz, she used it on a science, she used it to write a tricky section of an essay.”

For many students, AI serves as a shortcut to bypass learning, especially under the pressures of demanding academic environments.

c. Prevalence and Data Insights

Barnum discusses the alarming statistics regarding AI use in classrooms.

Matt Barnum [08:40]:
“About 40% of middle and high school students said they had used it to complete classroom assignments, assignments without teacher permission. And in college the number was a bit higher, about 50%.”

These figures indicate a significant trend of unauthorized AI use, highlighting the need for effective countermeasures.

d. Educators' Responses and Challenges

Educators are grappling with how to respond to this new challenge. Approaches vary widely:

• Detection and Verification:
  Some teachers rely on their intuition to spot discrepancies in student work, such as essays containing advanced vocabulary that students cannot explain.

  Matt Barnum [09:29]:
  “If I see a student who is not doing well in class and then they come back the next day with a perfect essay... that is a big red flag that they're using AI.”

• Technological Solutions:
  The use of AI detection tools is becoming more common, though these systems are not foolproof.

  Matt Barnum [09:29]:
  “These detection systems can help, but they're definitely not perfect.”

• Restrictive Measures:
  Some educators take drastic steps by eliminating traditional assignments altogether.

  Matt Barnum [10:26]:
  “I'm not assigning essays, I'm not assigning homework. What I am doing is having students write in class... and I'm able to ensure the integrity of their work.”

e. OpenAI's Stance and the Path Forward

OpenAI acknowledges the challenges but emphasizes that cheating is not a new phenomenon and suggests integrating AI into the classroom as a potential solution.

Matt Barnum [10:56]:
“OpenAI has generally said that cheating has always existed, it always will exist... They've also suggested that teachers can get students to avoid using it to cheat by incorporating ChatGPT or AI in the classroom more generally.”

This perspective advocates for a balanced approach, encouraging the responsible use of AI while mitigating misuse.

f. The Broader Educational Debate

The conversation pivots to the fundamental question of how AI will reshape education.

Matt Barnum [11:27]:
“There is this bigger question of, like, what AI means for education, what it means for the job market, and how, if at all, schools need to adapt.”

Comparisons are drawn to the introduction of calculators, questioning at what educational stage AI should be integrated to complement learning rather than replace critical skills development.

4. Conclusion

The episode concludes by underscoring the dual-edged nature of technological advancements. While Google's acquisition of Wiz signifies strategic growth and the critical importance of cybersecurity in the cloud era, the rise of AI-assisted cheating presents complex challenges for the education sector. Victoria Craig wraps up by highlighting the ongoing efforts and debates surrounding these issues, emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies in both tech and education industries.

Victoria Craig [13:12]:
“That's a really interesting question.”

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Berber Jin [01:49]:
  “...cybersecurity for the cloud must be really important for Google.”

• Berber Jin [04:15]:
  “It's really unclear whether they're going to ultimately approve it... an important litmus test for whether M and A will really take off under the Trump administration.”

• Matt Barnum [07:43]:
  “She used it to complete a math take-home quiz... to write a tricky section of an essay.”

• Matt Barnum [09:29]:
  “These detection systems can help, but they're definitely not perfect.”

• Matt Barnum [11:27]:
  “What AI means for education, what it means for the job market, and how, if at all, schools need to adapt.”

Produced by: Julie Chang and Jess Jupiter
Supervising Producer: Matthew Walls
Host: Victoria Craig

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing readers with a clear understanding of the significant technological developments and their implications in both the corporate and educational landscapes.