How do colleges look into grade inflation?

This year, I realized that intelligence doesn’t matter if I can’t do the work. I’ve always been above average at standardized tests and my AP Tests are usually 4s and above. However, my poor time management and homework scores reflects my work ethic which I need to improve on if I want to survive in college :(. I am taking 5 AP classes this year in which my unweighted grades in 3 of them (US HISTORY, PHYSICS, LANG) are around mid 70s and the remaining 2 ( CALC AB, COMPUTER) high 90s. The majority of my AP teachers believe on grading mostly on work ethic ironically to my amuse , so I have plenty of friends who have high As in the class despite bombing their tests and failing their AP exams. There was also a case last year when an AP Physics class last year had a class with ALL the students unusually are somehow making high As and when looked into it, it turns out the teacher was giving easy CP assessments in order to make his reputation look superb. (He was eventually fired) Yes, while the majority of the students failed the AP tests and that was their demise, they still had a great grade in a considered difficult class which colleges will probably take account of.

Yes, I can’t expect to make an A if I don’t do the work, but I was wondering how meticulously colleges would look at GPAS and their authenticity and how? They always say GPA is not the MOST crucial element in deciding your acceptance to college, but truth is, it is a significant part.

Colleges will ask your GC to send a snapshot of the typical GPA of the topmost students. AP score performance will also indicate grade inflation too