It's bizarre. As you say everyone knew it was coming and no one did anything. The whole way you assess needs to change. One on one conversations, portfolios, student led teaching, who knows - but the essay as it stands is dead. The only way forward is excellent teaching that is passionate and fosters curiosity. Everything else will follow.
Education needed a shake up..
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper
Thanks again for the link, will definitely read it this afternoon.
For sure, and the sad part is that people in high positions does not want this new way of teaching and assessment (as you noted, one on one conversations, portfolios, student led teaching and I would add student (peer review) assessment). I have suggested some of these ideas to my co-lecturers, but also the higher ups, but they cling to the old ways, "like it always was". And this will not work. Keeping the status quo like it is with AI will only lead to either disasters (essays written only by AI) or draconian assessment environments where the internet is off.