What Happens When AI is Used to Set Grades?

In 2020, with high school exams canceled in many countries, the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) deployed an AI to determine final grades based on current and historical data. When the results came in, many scores did not correlate with grades that had been predicted, as had been the case in previous years, prompting many people to appeal their grades. Unfortunately, the appeals system for grades had not been changed from previous years, which was assumed that students would write examination papers. Since university place offers in many countries are contingent on students achieving predicted grades, many students have been denied places at their universities of choice, which has resulted in a great deal of anger. This experience highlights the risks of delegating life-altering decisions to AI without considering how apparently anomalous decisions can be appealed and, if necessary, changed.