One truth about an innovation-driven society is that, for every new problem, a solution soon follows. While the AI-powered text generation tool ChatGPT is a powerful resource for many, its emergence presented educators (and certain other population segments) with a problem: How do we detect when a student has used ChatGPT to write their paper?

Enter: The Solution. A computer science major from Princeton, Edward Tian, claims to have developed a tool that can detect when someone has used ChatGPT to generate text, per CBS News. Tian claims that the tool, dubbed GPTZero, can quickly determine whether “an essay” was produced by a human or an AI tool like ChatGPT.

Considering the ethical issues that ChatGPT has presented as a readymade cheating tool and universities' incentive to render such tools ineffective, GPTZero may be the first of many AI-detecting software to come.

Is GPTZero Readily Available to Colleges and Universities?

Because GPTZero is still in beta, it is not ready for deployment at scale. And, like many beta-level software releases, there are likely several kinks to resolve before the tool is ready for widespread use. However, legacy players in the plagiarism detection field, including Turnitin, have rapidly evolved to detect AI-generated text.

So, you can expect most universities to use some type of tool to detect AI-generated work in the very near future if your school isn't already doing so.

Universities Will Update Academic Misconduct Policies to Prohibit the Use of ChatGPT

If your school has not yet amended its academic misconduct policies to prohibit the use of AI-assisted text generation tools (namely ChatGPT), expect next year's policies to clearly prohibit machine-assisted work.

Even if the prohibition is not in your school's formal policies, you may have received correspondence of some sort explaining, in no uncertain terms, that using ChatGPT for coursework qualifies as academic misconduct.

What to Do if You Are Accused, Falsely or Otherwise, of Using ChatGPT for Coursework

Depending on your school's policies and other relevant factors, you could face dismissal, suspension, probation, or other adverse consequences if you're found to have used ChatGPT in a prohibited manner.

Plagiarism detection tools have never been perfect, and AI text generation is likely more difficult to detect than traditional forms of plagiarism. This means that false accusations of cheating are inevitable.

If you are accused of receiving assistance from AI to complete coursework, you should:

• Contact the Lento Law Firm as soon as possible
• Refuse to answer any questions until you have spoken with our Student Defense Team
• Preserve any evidence that you believe proves your innocence
• Understand that even if you did use ChatGPT, you have a right to due process

No matter how dire your situation may seem, there is a resolution on the horizon.

Hire Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento to Find a Resolution for You

Student defense is a primary practice area for our firm. We'll explore all potential paths to a resolution, including negotiating directly with your university's attorneys. Mistakes happen (both by students and administrators), and we'll work to protect you from the harm of disciplinary sanctions.

Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or provide your case information online.