With over 13 million students applying for coveted university spots, Chinese tech giants, including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba, have disabled several AI features during the four-day gaokao exam period. The move, aimed at preserving exam integrity, reveals both the increasing sophistication of generative AI and the country’s uncompromising stance on academic fairness.
High Stakes, High Security: The National Effort to Preserve Exam Integrity
In a rare and coordinated display of tech restraint, China’s biggest AI companies have voluntarily restricted access to certain generative AI tools during the gaokao, the country’s rigorous and all-defining university entrance examination. The decision, implemented quietly but felt across digital platforms, marks a new chapter in the intersection of education, technology, and governance.
More than 13.3 million students are sitting this year’s gaokao, a four-day nationwide test often considered a life-or-death juncture in China’s intensely competitive education system. In an attempt to curb digital cheating, major platforms like Doubao (ByteDance), DeepSeek, Qwen (Alibaba), Yuanbao (Tencent), and Kimi (Moonshot) have disabled functions such as image recognition and real-time Q&A responses. From biometric screenings and radio signal jammers to AI surveillance tools, Chinese authorities are deploying extensive security measures.
Screenshots circulating on Weibo show automated responses stating: “During the college entrance examination, according to relevant requirements, the question answering service will be suspended.” Some users tried to bypass this by claiming their queries were unrelated to the gaokao, only to receive the same denial.
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While none of the companies have issued formal statements, internal policies appear to be aligned with national education and security directives. The restrictions are reportedly time-bound and geofenced, targeting exam windows and locations to prevent students from uploading test questions or images for real-time assistance.
AI is now smart enough to solve complex problems on demand. What used to take a calculator or textbook now takes a camera and an app. These freezes are a digital lockdown, designed to level the playing field. was stated in a statement given by an education policy analyst in Shanghai. Ironically, the move has frustrated university students and researchers who rely on these AI tools for legitimate academic work.
National Security Meets National Anxiety
Preventing cheating in the gaokao has long been a top priority for Chinese authorities. In Jiangxi province, AI-powered cameras will review footage to detect abnormal behaviour like whispering or repeated glances. Across the country, biometric checks, radio frequency jammers, and metal detectors are in use at examination centers. Violations will be dealt with “strictly in accordance with relevant regulations,” suggesting criminal consequences for offenders. The measures reflect China’s deep societal investment in the gaokao, where a single exam can dictate not just educational trajectory but also career, marriage prospects, and social mobility.
In a testament to the exam’s cultural importance, some cities have delayed office hours, cleared traffic lanes, and banned noisy events. Public buses and taxis display banners reading: “Support Gaokao. Silence for Success.”
As AI tools grow increasingly embedded in daily life, China’s decision to pause its power during one of its most sacred civic events could serve as a model, or a warning, for other nations grappling with academic integrity in the age of machines.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.