We always seek to gain a greater understanding of how AI-generated content works. Artificial intelligence has been evolving and is now used more or less in every facet of our everyday life.

This brings us new challenges. One of these is analyzing the extent of AI involvement in code development and ways to spot it.

In this article, we’re going to take you through ways to spot if an AI code generator has been used. We will also discuss how to check if code is AI-generated in software. Moreover, we will look at how to maintain code quality. Let’s dive right in.

 

A laptop showing lines of code on its screen.

What Is an AI Code Detector?

Let’s start with the basics and define what an AI code detector is. These tools are specialist software applications. They’ve been built to assist developers in writing and optimizing code. They also focus on flagging something as AI-generated content.

They use artificial intelligence algorithms in order to analyze written code in real time. They’re able to flag errors and offer suggestions on ways to improve a piece of code.

A specially built AI code detector helps recognize anything it believes is generated by AI models—for instance, ChatGPT. It does this by checking the styles of coding and syntax. From this, it can determine the likelihood that the content was generated by AI.

These tools are different from traditional code analysis tools. They focus on detecting errors and optimizing code. AI code detection software looks at all the different nuances displayed in what’s considered to be AI-generated code.

AI code detectors will give you insight into the origin of the code. This will help users understand how much an AI code generator has been involved in the creation of a coding sequence.

Is It Easy To Tell When Code Is AI-Generated?

In all honesty, it’s not that easy to become an expert code detector and it can take some training.

However, once you begin to spot some obvious signs of an AI-generated code in a code snippet, discovering these will start becoming easier. Nonetheless, always ensure you take your time as some AI-generated code may be more complex than others and more difficult to find.

 

A person coding on their laptop.

Is It Possible To Detect AI Generated Code?

Even though it can be challenging to detect code that was created by AI, there are some telltale signs, such as the ones we have listed below.

  • The syntax looks too perfect: An AI generator tends to craft code that looks way too perfect. With human code, you’re more likely to see slight errors or misalignments in personalized styles. For example, human coders might prefer different indentation styles like spaces over tabs, etc.
  • Repetitive patterns: The patterns it contains will likely be repetitive and template-like. So for instance, you might see the same functions repeated over and again with tiny changes to them. Human code will contain different algorithms or structures based on the project’s needs and it’s more adaptable.
  • Generic commenting: The comments AI generates can sometimes be slightly “off” looking or too generic in convention. This is because it hasn’t fully understood the context of the code. Human code, by contrast, will be more descriptive and specific.

Is There a Reliable AI Code Checker?

There are a variety of tools and plugins that are great at detecting AI-generated code. They do this by looking at coding patterns and complexity within coding style.

They’ll also be able to give a probability score for the involvement of AI in a specific code snippet. Some tools for AI coding are better than others, but there’s no real substitute for the human touch.

Codequiry and Sourcerer are two such examples of good AI code checkers. They analyze code snippets and highlight AI-written code to distinguish it from the rest. Smodin offers tools that can specifically check for AI code in content, and they’re free to use too.

 

A person typing on a laptop with a cup of coffee and notebook next to them.

Use Smodin’s AI Tools To Create Quality AI Content

We hope this guide has helped you learn how to check if code is AI-generated. However, if you want to learn more about what AI can do for you, then check out Smodin. Our service has brought some fantastic AI tools to the market that make creating quality content easier.

Whether you want to craft engaging essays and compelling research papers, or just need some help with your Math homework, Smodin can help.

So, if you’re keen to try us out, then why not find out more about our pricing? You’ll not be disappointed!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can AI-generated code enhance productivity?

Yes, it can. AI generared code can automate many of the tasks that often take up a lot of time. It can even suggest ways to make optimizations. That said, there’s got to be balance. Human code is distinct and AI code can sometimes lack depth and quality. Using both is key.

How easy is it to spot AI code vs human-written code?

It’s not easy. As we discussed above, making the differentiation is tricky. It’s easier to spot AI-generated content than it is code as there are lots of factors to consider. Once you get used to spotting the signs, it becomes easier.

Key things to look for are repetitive syntax and a lack of nuance in language. Machine learning hasn’t quite caught up with humans (yet).

Why do we need to authenticate code snippets?

We must understand AI code and the role it plays in AI-generated content. AI code checkers and tools look at the origins of code segments. They then ensure they are the result of human work and not AI. This must be done to make sure coding and codebases maintain their integrity.