Africa deploys AI and data analytics to stop exam malpractice

African countries are moving toward AI, data analytics, and digital security systems to counter increasingly sophisticated exam malpractice. The push was made during the opening of the 42nd Annual Conference of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) in Arusha on Aug. 17, with sessions running through Aug. 21. Hosted by Tanzania’s National Examinations Council (NECTA), the event brings together more than 350 delegates from 28 African nations and beyond. Education, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Adolf Mkenda addressed the effort via Permanent Secretary Prof. Carolyne Nombo, who said cheating now spans smartphones, social media, and AI tools across the full cycle—from question preparation through results publication. She urged investment in AI-powered detection, while AEAA President Dr Eshetu Kebede Gichoro called for technology spending, with the text cutting off mid-sentence.