Source: Gulf News

Dubai’s Court of Cassation rejected a master’s student’s appeal against dismissal for academic misconduct involving AI-generated thesis material. The student, enrolled in international dispute resolution law, sought reinstatement, permission to complete his thesis, his degree and Dh100,000 in compensation. An investigation report dated February 8, 2024, concluded that parts of the thesis were generated using AI and that copied material lacked proper attribution. The university dismissed the student, rejected his internal appeal and subsequently prevailed before the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal. Before the Court of Cassation, the student disputed the reliability of AI-detection software, challenged the expert’s remit and argued that dismissal was excessive.

The court held that objections to AI detection did not undermine other evidence, including invented or inaccurate legal references and nonexistent or misrepresented judgments. The court also accepted that examining the thesis and checking its legal references fell within the expert’s assignment to assess the work’s integrity. Having upheld the disciplinary decision as lawful, the court rejected compensation because the student had not established wrongdoing by the university. Separately, AI-governance legal consultant Dr Ammar Ali argued that using AI in research is not itself misconduct and that researchers must verify generated information and references. Dr Ali advocated clear university AI policies, human oversight, fair investigations and proportionate disciplinary measures; these recommendations are professional commentary, distinct from the court’s findings.