BEIJING -- Lawmakers are considering a draft law that takes a tougher stance against academic misconduct, forms of which include plagiarism and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate theses.

Individuals found to have obtained their academic degrees through plagiarism, data fabrication, or the submission of AI-generated theses shall have their degrees revoked, according to the draft academic degree law. The draft was submitted on Monday to the country's top legislature for its first reading.

Those discovered to have utilized another person's identity to enroll in university and acquire a degree will also face the revocation of their qualifications. If their actions constitute a crime, they will be subject to investigation and potentially held criminally responsible, according to the draft law.