A University of Michigan student with disabilities has filed a federal lawsuit against the institution, alleging that professors falsely accused her of using artificial intelligence to write her essays and discriminated against her based on her disability.
The student, identified as 'Jane Doe' in court documents, has obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Her lawyers argue that symptoms of her disabilities, such as a formal tone and meticulous structure in her writing, were misinterpreted as signs of AI-generated content.
According to the complaint, the student provided proof that she had not used AI, but the university proceeded with disciplinary actions without implementing disability-informed accommodations. The lawsuit claims that the accusations were based on subjective judgments about her writing style and unreliable AI detection tools.
The case adds to a growing number of lawsuits from students who claim they were unfairly accused of using AI. In October 2025, a student sued Adelphi College on Long Island, and in 2024, the parents of a Massachusetts teenager sued their son's high school for similar reasons.
Meanwhile, educators report being overwhelmed by AI-generated schoolwork, and some colleges are using AI to evaluate admission essays. The lawsuit highlights the inaccuracy of AI detection tools, with research suggesting they are often unreliable.
The Independent has contacted the University of Michigan for comment.
