Denmark to overhaul homework and exams to curb AI use in high schools

Education Minister Magnus Heunicke has announced plans to reform homework and final exams in Danish high schools to address the growing use of artificial intelligence, according to an interview with Berlingske.

Heunicke, of the Social Democrats, said the government will introduce an “emergency package” after the summer break, acknowledging that AI has outpaced current educational models. Written exams completed at home without oral follow-up are no longer viable, he argued, as they fail to accurately assess students’ abilities.

The minister also called for a review of AI use in assignments and homework, stating that traditional methods—such as spending hours on written essays—are no longer effective. “In the 1990s, when I was in high school, I could sit for six hours working on a Danish essay. There’s every indication that this isn’t how it’s done today. And if students aren’t learning, we need a new approach,” he told Berlingske.

A recent spot-check by Danske Gymnasier, reported in Politiken, found a significant drop in grades for this year’s high school graduates. In written Danish, average grades at 11 randomly selected schools fell to 6.1, down from the 6.5–6.8 range of the past decade. Heunicke had already signaled reforms in response, stating that exams would shift toward more in-person, pen-and-paper assessments and require oral defenses for certain assignments.