AI lowers grades at NTNU

The Trøndelag / Trondheim news of the past 48 hours puts higher education in the spotlight: a study conducted at NTNU measures the drop in grades in programming courses since the arrival of artificial intelligence in 2022. Nominations for Årets trønder and Årets hverdagshelt are open, the municipality of Leka will no longer deduct pay from its employees when the ferry is cancelled, and Adresseavisen reports concerns after a collective redundancy notice at a large company in Trøndelag county.

Trøndelag news: at NTNU, AI has moved grades from B to D

The study is led by Thomas Østerlie, førsteamanuensis (associate professor) at NTNU in Trondheim, and involved 160 participants (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim). The starting point is a field observation: “We have seen a considerable drop in grades in our programming courses after the arrival of AI in 2022,” the researcher tells NRK. The summary of his work fits in one line: grades that have gone from B to D.

The use of AI has become part of students’ everyday lives. Torkild Thommasen, a master’s student at NTNU in Trondheim, works on digital transformation. He uses the tool to search for ideas and write. “Unfortunately, it has become a kind of Google. If we ask ourselves a question, it is sometimes easier to use AI to get a better answer,” he tells NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim.

The phenomenon goes beyond lecture halls: having started at the end of 2022, the use of AI has also become a common tool for pupils in school, the public broadcaster notes. On the same education front, Adresseavisen reported on Monday 26 October in the evening that a school has suddenly become one of the most difficult to get into in the region.

Årets trønder: nominations are open in Trøndelag

Adresseavisen and NRK Trøndelag are organising the election of Årets trønder, the Trønder of the Year, for the 16th year. Since 2020, the same collaboration has also awarded the title of Årets hverdagshelt, the everyday hero. The two editorial teams have launched their call for nominations (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

“It is important to honour someone who has made a great effort for the region and distinguished themselves beyond the ordinary. We always receive many good candidates, and it is all the more pleasant that it is the readers who elect the winner,” says Kirsti Husby, editor-in-chief of Adresseavisen. She invites the public to submit their proposals quickly. The call is relayed by the NRK Trøndelag newsroom, whose news editor Linn Kathrine Yttervik is quoted in the article.

Leka: no salary deduction when the ferry is cancelled

In the island municipality of Leka, in northern Trøndelag, employees who cannot get to work when the ferry is not running will no longer have their pay deducted. The municipal management has decided, and the case is being presented to the municipal council this Tuesday 27 October (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim). Last year, 163 ferry crossings were cancelled in this municipality.

“In the event of repeated stoppages of the ferry service, this could lead to significant losses for employees in the form of salary deductions,” writes municipal director Camilla Vågan in the case summary. “The situation has worsened, and employees have reported that they consider it unfair to have to use their own leave, their time off in lieu, or to suffer a salary deduction because they cannot get to their workplace through no fault of their own.” The case is listed as an information item on the municipal council agenda. The media outlet NA, cited by NRK, first revealed the matter.

Employment: concern after collective redundancy notice

Adresseavisen reported on Monday 26 October, in the early afternoon, concerns after a collective redundancy notice (permitteringsvarsel) at a large company in Trøndelag. The regional daily’s news item specifies neither the name of the company nor the number of employees affected.

Sport: more than 500 runners in Bymarka

More than 500 people took part in a race in Bymarka, the forested area bordering Trondheim, Adresseavisen reports on Monday 26 October in the late afternoon. The event took place on the trails of this outdoor area used all year round by the city’s residents.

📌 Local news in brief

Three panels fell from a building on Sunday in the middle of the day near Solsiden, in Trondheim. The police cordoned off an area in Innherredsveien and the fire service secured the structure. “It was a metal structure and roof tiles that fell,” says the police operations manager (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

Adresseavisen reports, on Monday 26 October in the evening, a drone search to find a person on the railway property.

Sources: NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim, Adresseavisen, The Local Norway — Period: 26 October 2026 and 27 October 2026