I've spent a lot of time in academia and the fact is, people will cheat if they can. That's why you have to implement proctoring and oral exams to prevent cheating. Because if cheating is a strategy that gets you a job and money, it will be implemented regardless. People are not ethical on average.

I think it is because we are implementing Goodharts law on a society scale.

"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"

Many people see others taking short cuts and getting rewarded so that is seen as a legitimate path now. This works short term but errodes the foundations of that society over time.

So yeah this tracks for how things are going.