Many community colleges in California are using a new tool in their fight against fraud this fall – artificial intelligence.
EdSource reports about two-thirds of the state's 115 community colleges are now, or will soon be using, an AI model that detects fake students. The tool looks for information, such as shared phone numbers, suspicious course-taking patterns, and even an applicant's age.
Officials say the AI catches twice as many scammers as humans do. In fact, some campuses estimate that they are now detecting more than 90 percent of fraudsters, who are a mix of bots and human criminals.
California's community colleges have lost at least 18 million dollars to scammers since 2021.
Most of the stolen funds are federal aid, which the local colleges are responsible for distributing. But scammers have also grabbed millions in state aid, including Cal Grants and institutional awards.
Last year, nearly a third of applicants statewide were fraudulent.
