if they use ai to "cheat" the exam by having the ai produce material to learn off, then they literally have just replicated a paid tutor (for cheaper).
Why is that not desirable? As long as the exam does not allow ai usage during it, i don't see the problem.
The point is that they're not using AI to learn anything, they're using them to pass assignments without even giving it a once over. They're basically blindly copy/pasting whatever the assignment is and then copy/pasting the answer.
You're giving a charitable interpretation which is not warranted in reality. Scores are down across the board and even ivy leagues need to re-think its long held honor code.
I don't think it's shocking to realize that most 20 year olds (especially those growing up and seeing that success is not tied to intelligence nor hard work at all)are taking advantage of a convenient tool to cheat when given the chance.
Why is that not desirable? As long as the exam does not allow ai usage during it, i don't see the problem.