How Do Universities Detect AI?

AI detectors check if an essay or other piece of writing is AI-generated by a student and verify it’s human-written.

But some students ask, can universities detect AI writing? The simple answer is that these days, yes, they can. Detectors are useful for university professors and educators. They want to ensure a student is completing their work and that it’s accurate. These kinds of tools are still relatively new, though they are being enhanced all the time.

How do universities check for AI and detect and analyze AI content writing? Can they do it without special plagiarism software? Let’s find out.

How Does AI Detection Work?

AI detectors look for AI-generated text by exploring different characteristics in the text. For example, they will look for how complex the text is or how mechanical it sounds. Moreover, they will look for repetition of specific words or sentences and if there is variation.

Human-like text tends to include a more colorful language. A writer may add idioms, comparisons, jokes, etc, in their writing that indicates that a text was written by a human. However, if AI has written some content, it may use overly long words, intricate sentences, and repetitive statements. Hence, AI detectors can easily pick this up.

AI detectors are used in different sectors and disciplines. For example, AI detectors are used in colleges and universities. Moreover, they are used by companies that create content, like blogs, websites, etc.

AI checkers are also used by students to ensure that their writing is clean and won’t be picked up as AI-generated content.

Research from Stanford Uni shows just how far AI reaches these days. They claim that AI beats humans in its understanding of English already.  However, AI is not flawless.

What Do Universities Use To Check for AI: 4 Top Tools To Consider

Wondering what software do universities use to detect AI? Here are a few different types used to check written text for plagiarism and AI-generated content.

1. Smodin

Smodin is a key AI detector used by universities. It’s a way to let university tutors and educators analyze any form of text quickly and without hassle.

It has 91% accuracy in distinguishing between AI and human-written content. That’s not all it does, though. It is also able to identify any issues with plagiarism in student writing.

Students should always be encouraged to check their work for accuracy via this tool as well. This means they’re assured the work they’re sending through is free from mistakes and plagiarism. Regular use with every essay will assist them in improving their overall writing skills.

Smodin offers a free trial version and several affordable paid versions, billed annually and suitable for educational use. There are also business and professional versions.

2. Turnitin

Turnitin is a trusted AI content checker, and many universities and schools already use it as a way to check students’ work.

It started as a plagiarism checker but evolved to become a great AI detector tool as well. This means that students and educators can upload a variety of different texts. They’re able to check their work without the need for multiple programs

Turnitin can help to streamline your work without any disruption. It integrates with learning management systems like Blackboard to help educators maintain a familiar environment.

Both free and paid versions are available, but you’ll need to set up an account for whichever one you choose.

3. GPTZero

GPTZero is perhaps the most well-recognized brand of AI detection software. This means it’s still a tool that many university educators rely on.

This tool is designed for use in educational establishments and for both students and educators alike. GPTZero uses an AI text classifier. This gives both a perplexity and burstiness score. It makes it easier to determine whether a student’s work is their own.

It requires signing up for a free account, and there are three different paid-for plans: essential, premium, and professional.

4. Winston AI

Another popular choice for university lecturers and their students is the AI detection tool Winston AI.

Their website states that the checker is over 99% accurate, though this is tricky to verify. When educators upload samples of writing, they’ll get explanations and reports if any AI-generated writing is flagged.

Students can submit digital files. However, Winston AI also uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, which means that handwritten essays can be scanned. A great addition to checking and scanning hand-written essays and student’s academic papers.

If you pay for the Winston detection software, you’ll also receive access to the AI plagiarism detector. That way, you won’t need multiple tools to check your students’ writing.

Do Universities Check for AI in Personal Statements?

You might be wondering when it comes to looking at personal statements – how do universities check for AI? Is it worth using an AI program to write one?

Firstly, they’re a great tool to use for planning and setting out key ideas students want to talk about.

However, the clue is in the word “personal.” When it comes to writing, there’s no substitute for an original, personally written statement highlighting a student’s real experiences.

Universities are interested in students and want to know about the person behind the essays. They give a flavor of what an educational establishment can expect in terms of quality and depth of writing. Therefore, it’s important to write from the heart and remember that professors can use AI detectors to find out if a student has used an AI aid.

How Can Universities Detect AI Writing Without Tools?

How do universities detect AI writing without tools? An educator can identify AI-generated writing from students and work out if an AI detector is wrong.

While AI writing tools are becoming more sophisticated, there are some identifying features of ChatGPT content to look for, such as:

• Tone of voice and language: There are some key marks to look for here. The first is very polite or overly formal tones. “Normal” human writing tends to be conversational and chatty. AI language will be less so. Coupled with this is the overuse of what are known as hedging phrases.
• Lack of consistency: Tutors will get to know a student’s writing style and how they use correct sentence structure. The easiest way to spot AI-generated content is if they suddenly submit something that reads differently from their usual tone.
• Sourcing errors: Students are always encouraged to back up their claims and use verified sources. AI writing might avoid this or perhaps use sources that don’t exist.

So, how do universities detect AI? It’s important to understand that educators will try a variety of AI writing tools like Quillbot or Turnitin to find one that suits them.

Use a Top Tool Like Smodin AI To Detect AI-Generated Content

With so many tools out there that use AI to write anything from blogs to essays, you need a reliable AI content detector. However, Smodin does not offer you just that. With Smodin, you have access to a wide range of tools, from AI content detectors to essay writers, citation generators, and much more!

So, sign up for Smodin AI today and access any tool you want for your writing needs.