Recently, we’ve received a number of inquiries about AI detection tools. Is there a way to scan a student’s paper for AI generated content, like we do for plagiarism? Unfortunately, the answer is not so simple. While there are plenty of tools that claim to do this- the research shows they are unreliable. False positives are frequent and often biased against non-native English speakers.
So what should you do if you suspect a student is using AI in an assignment without permission? The best advice is to compare the work to another writing sample from the student. Also, make sure your syllabus and assignment instructions clearly state how AI may or may not be used in any given assessment in your course. The Office of the Provost offers some sample language you might find helpful.
