Canadian university decides against publishing coding competition results after students use AI to cheat

Coding competition

Ever since AI came into the picture, there’s been a real fear about what it could do to students' creativity, their ability to think deeply, and their habit of working hard. And now, it seems those fears are starting to come true.

The University of Waterloo has decided not to publish the results of its annual Canadian Computing Competition (CCC) after discovering potential violations of contest rules involving the use of AI tools, as first reported by The Logic.

Every year, thousands of students participate in the CCC to strengthen their applications for highly competitive programs such as computing and engineering at Waterloo. Some aim even higher, hoping to qualify for international Olympiads. A strong CCC performance can boost university admissions and job opportunities.

But this year, things took an unexpected turn. Instead of releasing the usual rankings, the university announced that results for the 2025 competition would not be published.

In a joint statement from the competition’s co-chairs and the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), the university explained that it had identified “an increasing number of student submissions that violated contest rules.” The rules explicitly prohibit participants from using AI or external tools. The statement noted that in many of these cases, the students had submitted code that was not their own.

“Given the widespread use of prohibited resources, we have determined that we cannot fairly or accurately report results for the 2025 Canadian Computing Competition,” the co-chairs said.

Waterloo stated that the decision was not made lightly, and that ensuring fairness and integrity in the competition is a top priority. The university also acknowledged the disappointment this might cause students and said it’s working on changes to the contest structure, supervision, and technology to better address such issues in future editions.

Jayden Shin, an eleventh-grade student who took part this year, told The Logic he wasn’t surprised by the outcome. “There’s a lot of cheating around with the rise of AI,” he said. He also noted how difficult it was for teachers to monitor multiple students at once during the competition — in his case, one proctor was watching eight students, making it hard to detect violations in real time.

In the past, cheating during these contests was less common, but with AI tools like GitHub Copilot now integrated into many coding environments, it’s easier than ever for students to get unauthorized help.

The fallout is especially tough for Grade 12 students who won’t have another shot at the contest. Shin said while the cancellation is disappointing, the blame rests with those who broke the rules: “It’s obviously the cheater’s fault.”

The CCC remains a highly respected benchmark for students hoping to stand out in university applications, internships, and tech jobs. But this year’s controversy has raised serious questions about how academic competitions can stay relevant and fair in the age of AI.