Using AI tools such as QuillBot can be beneficial for your writing. They can help with planning, researching, paraphrasing, and even citations, but when it comes to generating content, there are some considerations to keep in mind.
It might seem like a quick and easy way to craft your essay, but academia is getting wise to this shortcut, and many institutions now have rules against using it. In most instances, it may be fine to use AI as a supplementary tool, but is it worth it when you have AI detectors to contend with?
We’re exploring the use of AI in academia and the question, “Can professors detect Quillbot and other AI software?” We’ll address the use of QuillBot in writing papers, consider alternative options, and delve deeper into AI detection.
What Is QuillBot?
First, let’s look at what QuillBot actually is. This paraphrasing tool is a free plugin that can be downloaded onto your browser and used to work alongside you as you write. Its main motto is to “write with you, not for you” so you can maintain academic integrity.
QuillBot houses eight different functionalities, including those for paraphrasing, grammar checking, plagiarism checking, summarising, and more, with the aim of improving your content. It’s a clever tool that reconstructs sentences to help with clarity, which is why it’s so widely used by students and academics alike.
Promising to make your writing stand out, QuillBot is used worldwide. It’s available for free but also has a premium option that offers more advanced features.
Does QuillBot Count as AI?
QuillBot is a writing solution that uses AI to help improve its suggestions and paraphrasing outcomes. It’s a great piece of software to use alongside your writing process. However, there are some issues with using it for academic purposes, especially since it often gets flagged as AI.
Is QuillBot Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is when you take somebody else’s work and pass it off as your own. It’s strictly prohibited in writing, particularly in academic settings, but there is debate around whether using a paraphrasing tool like QuillBot counts as plagiarism.
As long as you cite your sources, you should be able to avoid getting caught plagiarizing, even when it comes to paraphrasing. So, make sure you change up the original text enough and include appropriate references.
Is QuillBot Detectable?
In most cases, the answer is yes, professors can usually detect the use of QuillBot.
This is especially true if your professor is using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin, which uses an advanced algorithm to identify AI-generated content and paraphrasing. Your professor will likely also detect ChatGPT and the use of other AI software, making it easier for educators to catch you no matter what.
In fact, there’s a strong likelihood that if your university, school or college is using an AI detector, they’ll be able to suss out any application that doesn’t have safeguards against detection.
How Does AI Detection Work?
Just because you think your AI-generated content reads well and doesn’t look obvious doesn’t mean it won’t be picked up. There are some key elements to this type of software that means you’ll always be caught out. Here’s how it works.
AI detection looks at the characteristics of your content, including sentence length, word choice, and punctuation, to find patterns reminiscent of AI writing style.
It then flags sentences by highlighting sections it thinks may have AI-generated text before giving an AI detection score for the overall piece, usually between 1% and 100%.
When it comes to most universities, this score shouldn’t go above the 15%-19% mark. If it does, you may be called out for your AI usage. Anything below that and they usually let it slide.
Can Turnitin Detect QuillBot?
Yes. Turnitin can detect AI like QuillBot. Through machine learning, this software has been programmed to identify distinct patterns used specifically by QuillBot. So, if you’re thinking of using this paraphrasing tool when submitting an essay through Turnitin, you need to be mindful of this.
How Does Turnitin’s AI Detection Process Work?
Turnitin is used by a large number of academic institutions due to its accuracy and simple usability. It also has a large database of sources to pull from, making it easy to compare student submissions against other work and spot plagiarism.
By assessing text structures, grammar, and style, Turnitin can see if any patterns or inconsistencies arise that reflect the use of AI.
It also employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to understand semantics and context, which is one of the key ways it detects the use of paraphrasing tools like QuillBot. Once Turnitin has done this, it will give you two reports: one for similarity and one for AI.
The similarity report looks specifically at paraphrasing and plagiarism and is color-coded as follows:
- Blue = 0% matching text
- Green = 1%-24% matching text
- Yellow = 25%-49% matching text
- Orange = 50%-74% matching text
- Red = 75%-100% matching text
The AI writing report for Turnitin varies between 1% and 100%, which indicates how much of the text has potentially been AI-generated.
The Limitations of AI Detection Tools
AI detection software like Turnitin is used by many academic institutions, but these tools are not without their limitations. Let’s take a look at some of the issues that can arise when using one.
False Positives
There is a dark side to AI detectors and that involves the generation of false positives. This is when human-written content gets flagged as AI, and it happens more often than you think, especially in academic writing. And it makes sense. After all, AI has been trained to learn and adapt based on human interaction and behavior. So, it stands to reason that sometimes human content can look more like AI content.
Still, it can be pretty demotivating if this happens to you, especially if you’ve worked really hard. So, if you’re getting pulled up for AI writing when you didn’t use it, you may want to have a discussion with your professor.
Limited Context
Some AI tools struggle to identify human writing because they don’t fully understand the context. For example, an academic paper may need to be written in a structured style with formal formatting, which could incorrectly tip off the AI detector.
On the other hand, the detector could also miss some paraphrasing because the detection software hasn’t learned to recognize it yet. Either way, this demonstrates how AI can sometimes miss the mark and can’t always be trusted.
Bias
In other instances, an AI writing detection tool may only be able to spot AI language models from certain software, such as ChatGPT or QuillBot. As a result, some AI-written content may fall through the gaps, further proving the limitations of this type of software.
How To Avoid AI Detection
Avoiding AI detection isn’t easy, especially when the software used to do this is constantly learning and adapting. However, there are some tips you can follow to increase your chances of bypassing the system.
Edit and Paraphrase
Though using a paraphrasing tool could potentially get you flagged for using AI, doing it yourself can reduce that chance. Make sure you edit any AI-generated content so it sounds more like you. Reword entire sentences in a way that’s less robotic and more human. Adjust sentence structure so it flows better. All of these tweaks could throw off the AI detector.
Avoid Repetition
AI software tends to stick to the same phrases and keywords, so it’s best to avoid these where possible. You want to aim for more natural language that flows and sounds like you. So, if you spot sentences that use the same word over and over, swap it out for something else.
Remove Jargon
This may be somewhat difficult in an academic setting but do your best. AI tools like ChatGPT like to use technical terms a little too much, so if you can soften the content and improve clarity, you should be a winner.
Vary Sentence Length
This comes back to writing how you speak. Human writing includes varying sentence structures and length, and if it looks and sounds human, an AI detector is less likely to flag it. Even if you haven’t used AI, carefully read through and break up some of those longer sentences.
Use the Right Tools
While tools such as QuillBot and ChatGPT, may be easily detected, there are other applications dedicated to bypassing AI detection, even when using them for paraphrasing. Find one that works for your academic writing, and your professor should be none the wiser.
Top 3 Quillbot Alternatives
If you want to try your luck with a different type of AI writing tool, here are some of the best Quillbot alternatives that may be helpful. Each one has been designed to assist your writing without tipping off those detecting tools.
1. Smodin
Smodin offers a wealth of AI functionality designed to help improve your workflow and writing. It also has its own paraphrasing tool, a Paragraph Rewriter, which lets you copy and paste your text to generate a more polished and, more importantly, different version for better readability.
Smodin’s AI-generated content is also plagiarism-free and pays close attention to structure and quality, helping you bypass those AI detectors. And the best part? Smodin has a built-in AI detector of its own, so once you’ve used this tool to help with your essay skills, you can check it for yourself to see if it will get flagged. That way you can make important changes before you submit your work and keep your academic integrity.
2. StealthGPT
Promising to “outsmart every detector,” StealthGPT is another tool that can create AI content without being detected. The company even offers to reimburse you should your content get flagged, so they’re pretty confident.
They have a tool that adapts to different writing styles, ensuring consistency, and an AI Humanizer that takes your content and removes anything that may come across as AI.
3. Stealth Writer
Like StealthGPT, Stealth Writer is software that humanizes your writing to bypass AI detectors. It’s mainly used as an SEO tool but allows you to copy and paste any content, which means it could work for academic papers and essays, too.
Can Professors Detect QuillBot: Striking the Balance
It’s no secret that AI is a useful addition to our modern way of life. It can transform the way we work and learn in so many different ways. AI is great for generating ideas when you’re stuck, rewording a sentence that doesn’t quite work, and helping you develop your writing skills. However, there are stipulations to using it, especially in an academic setting.
It’s always important to maintain academic integrity. You want to create something that’s uniquely yours without ignoring the helpful tools available to you. That’s why AI tools should be used to complement your writing and help with problem-solving, not to take over completely and replace your thinking. And if used correctly, you shouldn’t have to worry about those pesky AI writing detection tools.
To strike the right balance for your academic writing, look no further than Smodin. As we previously outlined, it has everything you need to help improve your writing, including a top AI Content Detector, while keeping you safe from an AI detection tool.
Start using Smodin today to refine your essays and ultimately enhance your writing style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use AI paraphrasing tools like QuillBot for my academic work?
If you’re stuck on how to phrase a sentence or section in your essay or paper, using a paraphrasing tool like QuillBot might be the best solution. All you have to do is copy and paste your text, click paraphrase and it will generate an alternative. You can even select the type of content mode you prefer, including natural, formal, academic, and more.
How do professors detect AI-generated text?
Professors usually use AI detection tools to spot AI-generated text. The application they use may depend on the institution, but many use Turnitin AI detection to analyze your text and look for patterns. Content is then compared against a large database to deliver a score on any detected plagiarism or AI use.
Is it ethical to use AI in academic writing?
If AI is being used to supplement your work rather than take over completely, then it can be used ethically in academia. Problems arise when you rely on AI for every aspect of your work.
It must be used responsibly without replacing you entirely as a student. It’s also important to understand your institution’s stance on the use of AI before you start utilizing such a tool, as well as to know how you feel personally on the matter.
Are all AI writing tools the same?
No, every AI writing tool is unique, offering something different depending on your needs. Some offer to write content for you, others may offer to paraphrase or summarize text.
Applications like Smodin offer a range of services, including a plagiarism checker and citation generator, to cover every aspect of your writing journey.
What happens if I get caught using AI tools in academia?
This depends on the institution you’re studying with. Many universities view the use of AI as misconduct, which can result in any number of consequences. This ranges from docking your grade to giving you a caution.
In some cases, you may have to face a panel, and on rare occasions, you could be faced with expulsion. Just make sure you use AI wisely and responsibly and double-check your university guidelines.