A UK regulatory tribunal has removed a Nigerian dietitian from professional practice after finding that she used artificial intelligence to answer questions during a remote job interview.
Aiwanehi Aigbokhaevbo, a UK-registered dietitian, was struck off the register following a hearing by the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service. The case relates to an interview held in March 2024 for an oncology dietitian role at Royal Surrey County Hospital.
The interview was conducted over Microsoft Teams because Aigbokhaevbo was in Nigeria at the time. According to the tribunal, the panel members became concerned during the session when her responses to clinical questions differed from her answers to general questions.
The panel said that when asked technical questions, she “became very hesitant” and frequently asked for them to be repeated. She then repeated the questions “very slowly and deliberately” before giving answers “with great fluency,” which appeared inconsistent with the earlier hesitation.
“The answers she provided were as if from a textbook, indicating specialist knowledge and experience of an advanced level,” the tribunal stated.
Panel members also observed that her eyes moved from side to side, suggesting she was reading from a screen. One interviewer later entered the same questions into ChatGPT and found close similarities to the responses she had given.
Following the interview, Aigbokhaevbo was asked to complete a 45-minute case study. The tribunal found that this submission was also likely generated with artificial intelligence, stating that the answers were “too detailed and perfect” to be her own work.
During the hearing, Aigbokhaevbo denied using artificial intelligence. She said repeating questions was a “reflex” to ensure understanding and attributed her eye movements to checking her internet connection. She added that using AI in such a setting would be “a great offence.”
She told the panel that this was her 17th interview and that she had applied for about 200 positions.
The tribunal rejected her explanations, describing her account as inconsistent. It concluded that she had used artificial intelligence during both the interview and the written task.
In its decision, the panel said her conduct was dishonest and raised concerns about professional integrity. It noted that she had shown “no remorse or apology” and lacked insight into the consequences of her actions.
“With regard to the personal component, (she) denied the allegation and has expressed no remorse or apology,” the panel said.
“Given the attitudinal nature of the misconduct, and the absence of any evidence of remorse, insight, or remediation, the Panel considered that there was a significant risk of repetition.”
The tribunal also warned that such conduct could undermine recruitment processes and “potentially jeopardise patient care” if a candidate’s actual knowledge did not match the level presented.
The panel also warned that such conduct could undermine recruitment processes and “potentially jeopardise patient care” if a candidate’s actual knowledge did not match the level presented.
Aigbokhaevbo was removed from the professional register, and her fitness to practise was found to be impaired. An interim suspension order of 18 months was imposed, during which she has the right to appeal the decision.
