Turnitin, a leading provider of academic integrity solutions worldwide, has announced the activation of its AI writing detection capabilities. With 98% confidence, this technology can identify the use of AI writing tools, including ChatGPT, enabling educators to analyze and review the authenticity of academic work.

The development of this capability began almost two years prior to the release of ChatGPT, as Turnitin sought to identify AI-generated text in student-written submissions. The AI writing detection capabilities are now integrated into existing Turnitin systems, and accessible through learning management systems, without requiring additional steps for current Turnitin educator users to access. More than 10,700 institutions and over 2.1 million educators will be able to use this feature to evaluate a submission’s authenticity quickly and easily.

Turnitin’s AI detector measures how many sentences in a written submission may have been generated by artificial intelligence. Educators can use this information to determine if further review, inquiry, or discussion with the student is needed. This feature is available within existing Turnitin products and solutions, including Turnitin Feedback Studio (TFS), TFS with Originality, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, Simcheck, Originality Check, and Originality Check+.

Chris Caren, CEO of Turnitin, said, “Educators told us that being able to accurately detect AI written text is their first priority right now. They need to be able to detect AI with very high certainty to assess the authenticity of a student’s work and determine how to best engage with them.” According to James Thorley, Regional Vice President, Turnitin Asia Pacific, educators and university administrators in Southeast Asia are keenly aware of the potential impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on the quality of students’ work and the learning experience.

To help educators navigate and manage this new technology in the classroom, Turnitin has published an AI writing resource page. The publicly available web page provides practical resources from the company’s Teaching and Learning team, including a glossary of AI terms, a guide on updating an academic integrity policy in the age of AI, and a downloadable AI misuse rubric to help educators prepare writing assignments from potential AI-generated text proactively. The page also reports progress in refining detection capabilities as AI writing technology continues to evolve.

Turnitin’s AI writing detection capabilities offer a solution to academic fraud. Educators can use this technology to determine the authenticity of students’ work and to ensure academic integrity. With the release of this new capability, Turnitin continues to empower educators worldwide.