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AI-enabled assessment technologies are increasingly used by higher education institutions to protect academic integrity, scale online assessment and respond strategically to generative artificial intelligence. This paper examines how online proctoring, automated scoring, AI writing detection, and learning analytics risk flagging reshape institutional governance, stakeholder trust, and assessment strategy in higher education business ecosystems. Using a systematic-narrative review approach informed by PRISMA 2020 reporting principles, the study synthesises peer-reviewed literature and authoritative policy guidance published between 2015 and 2025. The analysis is organised around an integrated theoretical framework that combines assessment validity, academic integrity values, algorithmic accountability, and ecosystem strategy. The findings show that AI-enabled assessment can support identity verification, monitoring capacity, workflow triage and timely feedback when deployed as human-governed decision support rather than automated adjudication. However, over-reliance on surveillance and detection creates strategic risks: false positives, bias against linguistically diverse students, privacy intrusion, opaque decision-making, weakened due process and construct distortion when assessments measure surveillance compliance instead of intended learning outcomes. The review further shows that institutional legitimacy depends less on the technical promise of tools and more on governance capability, including proportionality, transparency, contestability, equity auditing, privacy protection and authentic assessment redesign. The paper contributes to business ecosystem and strategy scholarship by positioning academic integrity technology as a strategic governance issue within higher education service ecosystems. It recommends integrity-by-design, cross-functional AI governance, vendor accountability and assessment strategies that preserve fairness, validity and stakeholder trust.

This study sought to analyse the role of the South African Qualifications Authority in curbing the misrepresentation of qualifications. Academic degrees are highly valued throughout the globe because they are seen as a dependable and trusted proxy for the bearers' knowledge, abilities and skills. In the same vein, the higher education system in South Africa makes every effort to generate well-qualified graduates who are capable of assisting in the leadership of the country's socio-economic growth. Recent reports in the media, on the other hand, create the impression that this initiative is being hampered by the widespread use of counterfeit, phoney and other illegitimate credentials. Consequently, the reputation of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is in grave danger as a result of the increasing prevalence of dishonestly misrepresented qualifications in both the public and private sectors. The education system is also at risk of losing its credibility as a result of actions involving deception, which is a subject that has to be addressed at the highest levels possible. Notably, the public service in South Africa is making significant progress towards the goal of ensuring that individuals who misrepresent their qualifications are barred from ever working in the public sector again. In this regard, SAQA plays an important role by offering verification services to individuals who are interested in applying for jobs in the public sector. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on credentialism and qualifications from the developing world with specific reference to South Africa.