Finnish journalist completes intensive care course in minutes using AI

A reporter for Finnish public broadcaster Yle enrolled in three open university courses on healthcare—including one on intensive care—and passed all of them within hours by using artificial intelligence to complete assignments and exams, according to an investigation published Friday.

The journalist signed up for online courses at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK), Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK), and Karelia University of Applied Sciences. The courses, worth five credits each, covered safe medication practices and intensive care for critically ill patients. Using AI tools to generate answers, the reporter completed XAMK’s 135-hour medication course in two and a half hours, VAMK’s course in 41 minutes, and Karelia’s intensive care course—where AI use was explicitly banned—in under two hours despite violating the rules.

None of the institutions actively monitored or enforced restrictions on AI assistance. While XAMK and VAMK had no clear prohibitions in course materials, Karelia’s ban went unchecked; its rector admitted uncertainty over whether technical enforcement was even possible. Experts interviewed by Yle warned that the findings expose systemic vulnerabilities in professional education, where unverified credentials in life-and-death fields could undermine public trust.

In response, the universities downplayed risks to patient safety but acknowledged the need for broader discussion on AI’s role in education. Yle defended its unconventional reporting method—directly testing the system—as necessary to expose gaps in oversight, noting that universities of applied sciences, as publicly funded institutions, bear responsibility for training competent specialists.