AI-generated exam question about student suicide appears on Chinese education app
An education app in China reportedly published an AI-generated exam question that joked about student suicide, triggering public outcry. The company confirmed the question existed, removed it, and said it was investigating the source.
What happened
An exam question appeared on 作业帮 (Zuoyebang), a Chinese education app, that joked about student suicide. The question stated: 'Life can reincarnate, but the gaokao [college entrance exam] only happens once. Under the backdrop of intense academic competition, many students are inadvertently doing free fall due to Earth's gravity. A high school student with a mass of 60kg falls freely from the 11th floor. Ignoring air resistance, find the average speed of the student's fall.'
On November 4, 2025, 作业帮 officials confirmed the question had existed and stated it was removed. They said they were investigating who designed it but did not immediately know.
Reported impact
The question triggered strong negative reactions online. Users described it as the most malicious question they had ever seen and criticized it as showing contempt for students.
Governance controls
作业帮 removed the question after the public outcry became known.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.