Turnitin is a plagiarism detection company that's been around for a while. According to a recent article in Times Higher Education, their new detection software found that 10% of essays analyzed contain significant portions likely to have been generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This new data is from the software's first three months of operation. During this time, the software reviewed over 65 million papers; 3.3% of them were flagged as having at least 80% AI-generated content, while 10.3% had more than 20% AI-generated content.

Turnitin's Perspective and Critics' Responses

Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin, stated that educational institutions are using the AI tool together with other Turnitin products. They believe sharing insights about whether or not AI-generated content is present will foster a better understanding of education trends. Other representatives of the company, such as Patti West-Smith, Turnitin's Senior Director of Customer Engagement, see the tool as a means to initiate discussions on appropriate writing tool use, citation practices, and original thinking.

Turnitin claims their tool can identify AI-generated writing with a 97% accuracy rate and a low rate of false positives, but critics have questioned the tool's independent verification. In fact, false accusations as a result of false positives are a growing concern when it comes to evaluating whether or not AI tools, such as ChatGPT, have been used.

What This Means for Students

There are several implications for students and what they need to know when it comes to software like Turnitin's new AI detection tool. Here are the top two to keep in mind.

1. Know your school's policies
   AI is a very broad term that can mean a myriad of things. As a college student or graduate student, what's most important is that you understand your own school's policies when it comes to academic integrity. Some schools (as the article mentions) allow for AI use. In those instances, make sure you're aware of exactly what is and isn't allowed and how it needs to be cited. Many schools have guidance in their student handbook around unauthorized collaboration or assistance—generally, this mandates that students are fully responsible for completing their own work rather than involving someone else in the process. In the same way that working with a colleague might be considered unauthorized collaboration (and prohibited), AI might also. It will all depend on your individual school's policy.
2. Be aware that false positives are a possibility Given the propensity for false positives to exist, it's important, if you're accused of alleged academic misconduct as a result of alleged AI use, to find an attorney-advisor who can assist you. Academic integrity allegations can follow you for your entire academic career and have significant ramifications further down the line.

Best Nationwide Academic Attorneys to Help with Allegations of AI Use

If you're currently facing allegations of misuse of AI, you should take them seriously. Contact the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm today in order to get help. Call us at 888.535.3686 or reach out online for more information.