As of April 4, 2023, Turnitin now includes an experimental AI detection tool in its originality checking service.
Things to Know:
April 2024: One Year Later
CGI has entered a period of internal analysis and review of the uses of artificial intelligence, both academically and professionally.
This includes our own study of Turnitin's artificial intelligence tool.
The Similarity score and the AI writing detection percentage are completely independent and do not influence each other.
The Similarity score indicates the percentage of matching-text found in the submitted document when compared to Turnitin's comprehensive collection of content for similarity checking. The similarity score and resulting report is available to students.
The AI writing detection score indicates the percentage of text that has been determined to be generated by AI. The AI detection score and resulting report is available to instructors only.
When instructors access the AI report (example above), they see an AI score, the submitted document with highlighted text, and links to Turnitin AI support resources:
[1] The AI score (or indicator) shows the overall percentage of the document that may have been generated by AI writing tools.
[2] A link to an FAQ page provides instructors additional information on how the detection model works.
[3] Highlighted text in the submitted document indicates the sections predicted to be AI-generated.
[4] Links to additional pedagogical resources are included to support educators using the AI writing detection indicator.
[5] A disclaimer reminds the instructor that the evaluation may not be accurate.
Until CGI is able to fully test the new feature and provide more information on its use at CGI, we encourage instructors to review the following resources from Turnitin:
I asked Chat GPT what it thought about Turnitin's AI detection capabilities, and here's what it had to say:
Query: How does Turnitin detect use of Chat GPT?
Chat GPT responded with the following:
As an AI language model, I do not have direct access to Turnitin's detection methods, as it is a proprietary system. However, Turnitin uses advanced algorithms and techniques to detect potential plagiarism in documents, including the use of AI and machine learning.
When it comes to detecting the use of Chat GPT, Turnitin may employ several approaches, which could include:
Textual patterns: Turnitin may have a database of known patterns or signatures of text generated by Chat GPT or similar language models. These patterns could include unique phrasings, sentence structures, or common phrases that are associated with the output of AI language models.
Metadata analysis: Turnitin may analyze metadata associated with the document, such as the author information, file properties, and timestamps, to identify if it was likely generated using an AI language model.
Comparative analysis: Turnitin may compare the submitted document against a large database of other documents, including publicly available text on the internet, to identify potential matches or similarities that indicate the use of AI-generated content.
Linguistic analysis: Turnitin may analyze the language used in the document to identify any anomalies or inconsistencies that could indicate the use of an AI language model. This could include detecting language patterns, grammar errors, or other linguistic clues that are commonly associated with AI-generated content.
It's important to note that Turnitin's detection methods may evolve over time as technology advances, and they may not disclose their exact techniques to protect the integrity of their system. As such, the effectiveness of Turnitin's detection of Chat GPT or other AI-generated content may vary, and it's always best to follow academic integrity guidelines and avoid submitting any work that is not original and properly cited.
(OpenAI, personal communication, April 6, 2023)