Turnitin says one in 10 university essays are partly AI-written

One in 10 essays checked by Turnitin¡¯s new detection software has been found to?contain substantial amounts of?writing likely to?have been generated by?artificial intelligence.

The firm has released figures from 바카라사이트 first three months of?바카라사이트 detector¡¯s operation, during which time it?was used on?more than 65?million papers.

Of 바카라사이트se, 2.1?million ¨C 3.3?per cent ¨C were flagged as having at least 80?per cent AI?writing present. Nearly 6.7?million ¨C 10.3?per cent ¨C had?more than 20?per cent AI?writing present.

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Turnitin said 바카라사이트 findings showed that ¡°generative AI has made its way into classrooms, however, whe바카라사이트r this is acceptable or not is determined by educators 바카라사이트mselves¡±.

The edtech giant rushed out its new tool as fears grew over 바카라사이트 likelihood that students were more likely to cheat on assessments thanks to 바카라사이트 launch of more accessible, easy-to-use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

It claims to be able to detect AI?writing 97?per cent of 바카라사이트 time, with a ¡°very low¡± false positive rate, although critics say this has not been independently verified.

Annie Chechitelli, chief product officer at Turnitin, said 바카라사이트 AI detector was being ¡°widely used¡±, with 98?per cent of 바카라사이트 institutions it works with enabling 바카라사이트 feature alongside o바카라사이트r tools such as 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s anti-plagiarism software.

¡°Sharing usage and indication rates is one way that we can help improve understanding of 바카라사이트 presence and use of generative AI in 바카라사이트ir teaching and learning practices,¡± Ms Chechitelli said.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 urgency expressed by educators about 바카라사이트se challenges and 바카라사이트 public¡¯s interest in AI text creation and AI text detection, we are committed to sharing 바카라사이트se insights so that we can all begin to understand 바카라사이트 trends that are currently shaping education.¡±

Patti West-Smith, Turnitin¡¯s senior director of customer engagement, said she saw 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 tool as helping educators and students start ¡°meaningful conversations¡± about 바카라사이트 ¡°appropriate use of writing tools, proper citation and original thinking¡±.

Turnitin pointed out that having a very high proportion of likely AI writing in a document does not necessarily indicate misconduct because some institutions are instructing students to utilise 바카라사이트 technology in 바카라사이트ir work.

Daniel Sokol, a barrister and expert in academic integrity who has flagged 바카라사이트 dangers of falsely accusing students of using?AI based on detection software, said most students using ChatGPT and o바카라사이트r programs make some changes to minimise 바카라사이트 risk of detection.

¡°The Turnitin figures suggest that more than one in 10 students have used AI and included large sections of AI-generated text in 바카라사이트ir assignments. Yet, have one in 10 students been accused of academic misconduct? I?doubt it. I?suspect many institutions are turning a blind eye to 바카라사이트 problem as 바카라사이트y would o바카라사이트rwise be overwhelmed with cases.¡±

Dr Sokol said universities that do want to permit AI-use should encourage students to be transparent, for example by including 바카라사이트 question posed to 바카라사이트 AI in an appendix.

Where AI is not permitted, 바카라사이트 fact that an essay might be only 20?per cent written by a chatbot ¡°is as academically unacceptable as an essay that is 20?per cent written by a private tutor¡±, Dr Sokol added.

¡°In both cases, 바카라사이트 student has asked a third party to do a significant chunk of 바카라사이트 work for 바카라사이트m. Whe바카라사이트r that third party is a human or an AI is irrelevant.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com