The rise of ChatGPT in 2022 has coincided with a 30% increase in top grades at universities, particularly in courses that involve extensive writing and programming. Research involving data from 500,000 students at a Texas university indicates that average grades have risen overall, with a notable skew towards higher marks. Interestingly, the most significant grade increases are among students already performing well, rather than those at risk of failing. The study also highlights that 9% of students admitted to cheating using AI, a figure expected to grow as more data is collected. Fields such as economics and journalism report the highest cheating rates at 17% and 16%, respectively, while biology students are the least likely to misuse AI. Historically, grade inflation has been a persistent issue, as seen at Harvard University, where top grades rose from 24% in 2005 to 60.2% in 2025. The study's authors suggest that solutions must be tailored to individual courses, advocating for clearer guidelines on acceptable AI use and redesigning assignments to limit AI's role. The challenge remains to motivate students to invest genuine effort in their learning.