South African private higher education institution Stadio has denied claims that it has started using artificial intelligence to mark student papers, despite formalizing a structured framework for student use of AI that mandates the use of artificial intelligence in some assignments.
A MyBroadband reader who was previously paid to help grade assignments on Studio claimed that educational institutions have begun using AI tools to reduce the workload of human grading. An instructor at the school, who had outsourced some grading to Reader, said students were being asked to upload more assignments for online grading, and for some assignments, the instructor would just upload notes and the Studio system would handle the rest. Readers say the number of assignments they receive from instructors to mark has dropped from about four a year to one or two.
Esther Venter, director of teaching, learning and student success at Stadio Higher Education, denied the allegations. “Marking will be done by suitably qualified academic staff in line with university policies and quality assurance processes,” she said. Venter added that the potential future use of AI tools in scoring will be carefully evaluated to ensure alignment with academic standards, fairness and regulatory requirements. “For now, all scoring decisions remain the responsibility of human academics, and we have established processes in place to ensure quality and consistency.”
The proliferation of generative AI tools has been a hotly debated topic in higher education since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Some educational institutions initially sought to limit the use of this technology, particularly for student assignments, often relying on AI detection tools that were widely criticized as unreliable.
A 2025 presentation by Jacques Nieuwoudt, Head of LLB at Stadio, argued that AI detection tools as a standalone approach are a dead end. Nieuwout also said AI detection widens the digital divide, as students from more advantaged backgrounds may find it easier to manipulate their output to avoid detection.
Since then, Studio has adopted a structured framework for AI use, recently announcing a “traffic light” model that not only allows students to use AI in certain assignments, but explicitly requires it in others. This model classifies issues as follows: Red, where the use of AI is not allowed, assessments designed to build independent skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Orange indicates that using AI is optional for tasks that require brainstorming and editing. Green is when the use of AI is required for repetitive tasks or idea generation to improve productivity.
Jolanda Morkel, head of instructional design and senior research fellow at Stadio, said the agency recognizes that AI is not going away and there is no need to fear its use in education. AI skills are becoming as important as reading, writing and arithmetic, she argued. “In the workplace, there will be tasks where AI is not appropriate, tasks where it could be helpful, and tasks where AI is essential,” she said. “AI is one of the defining technologies of our time, and by embracing it as a partner in education, we are ensuring that our graduates are prepared to not only adapt, but thrive.”
