Artificial intelligence is changing our world. It feels like this technology is evolving faster than any we’ve ever experienced in history—and it’s hard to keep up. Yes, it can be very practical and convenient to use AI, but there’s somewhat of a learning curve to using AI productively in the classroom. Many educators have a valid concern about students using AI tools unethically, especially for writing assignments. As these tools become more accessible and integrated into our daily lives, however, we need to find ways to adapt. That’s why we put together this list for teachers who are looking for a good AI checker.
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AI Red Flags and Setting Student Expectations
AI and Cheating
Artificial intelligence can bring several significant benefits to the classroom. AI tools for teachers make it easier to create personalized learning experiences and help us support students with diverse capabilities. We can use AI to research helpful educational resources, perform administrative tasks like alphabetizing, and even generate rubrics to simplify grading and feedback. Of course, we’re not the only ones experimenting with the many AI tools that have suddenly become available.
Students have started using AI to do everything from writing essays to solving math problems. By relying on AI tools, they run the risk of bypassing the learning process entirely. As such, academic honesty has become a very complex topic. If it’s not taken from elsewhere and it’s generated by the student, is it plagiarism? Is it cheating? When something looks too good to be true, how do we evaluate its authenticity?
Educators now face this unique challenge of distinguishing between legitimately completed assignments and those generated by artificial intelligence. As we navigate this new frontier of cheating, the best thing we can do is improve our own digital literacy and find the right detection tools to use in the classroom.
AI Red Flags and Setting Student Expectations
You know your students, and you can tell when something doesn’t seem right. A challenge is that, with AI, it can be very difficult to pinpoint the problem (and prove it!). Here are some red flags to look for when evaluating student work:
- Sudden improvement: Are newer submissions suddenly substantially better than previous ones?
- Inconsistent style: Has their writing style or voice changed?
- Complex vocabulary: Have they started using complex vocabulary or technical jargon that seems beyond the student’s current level?
- Off-topic content: Does the work sometimes veer off-topic or include irrelevant or odd details?
- Lack of personal insight: Does the student share personal insights or opinions in their work or does it feel hollow?
- Format issues: Is the text structured or formatted in a way that does not follow the assignment’s guidelines?
- Missing logical flow: Is the assignment incoherent or does it feel disjointed?
- Errors typical of AI: Are you seeing nonsensical phrases, repetitive statements, or unusual syntactic structures?
We can’t avoid the topic. Students (and teachers!) are going to use AI—now we just need to discuss how to use it ethically. The explosion of AI use can feel pretty overwhelming at times. It can be tempting to throw in the towel and bury your head in the sand. We must face this head-on, however, by establishing clear boundaries and setting expectations in your classroom.
The first step is being proactive and setting expectations for student AI usage. Need help? Here’s how to create an AI policy for your school or classroom. Encourage students to explore and gain experience with these tools, but also emphasize that they must be used as part of the learning process, not a replacement of it. Discuss the consequences of submitting work entirely generated by AI proactively, so that students know exactly where you stand.
Best AI Checkers for Teachers
Before using these tools, discuss the use of AI checkers with your school administrators. Schools and districts may have specific policies about the use of detectors and may require that you remove specific information to protect the privacy of your students. It’s also important to remember that these checkers may not be completely reliable. Before accusing students of using AI, remember that your detection report is only one part of the bigger picture.
Turnitin
Turnitin has been around for a long time and is widely recognized for its effectiveness in detecting plagiarism. Now it’s being used to detect AI-generated text. One of the best things about Turnitin is that it integrates seamlessly with many educational platforms, so you may already be familiar with using it. It has been known, however, to incorrectly flag common phrases as plagiarism, which can result in false positives.
Learn more: Turnitin
GPTZero
This school board–endorsed tool is specifically designed to detect text generated by AI models like ChatGPT. Since this is among the most common tools out there, GPTZero can be a valuable resource for educators who are trying to ensure the originality of student submissions. You can use it for free, making it an appealing AI checker for teachers.
Learn more: GPTZero
Copyleaks
This tool efficiently detects traditional plagiarism and AI-generated content. It supports multiple languages and file formats, making it a versatile resource for all teachers, particularly those teaching in a second language.
Learn more: Copyleaks
Grammarly
Chances are you’ve used Grammarly as a grammar and style checker, so you’re already familiar with how it works. If you’ve used Grammarly Premium, you may also be familiar with its plagiarism checker. Now it can also flag inconsistencies commonly found in AI-generated text. With its browser extension, desktop, and mobile app, this tool is highly accessible and convenient.
Learn more: Grammarly
Crossplag
This tool is known for its ability to detect AI-paraphrased text, which is a specific issue that many traditional AI detectors miss. The interface is pretty user-friendly, giving teachers the ability to better understand the true origin of the submissions they’re grading.
Learn more: Crossplag
Originality.ai
This tool focuses on detecting AI-generated content in written work, helping teachers ensure the authenticity of student submissions. It also includes a helpful systematic fact-checking aid to streamline your fact-checking process.
Learn more: Originality.ai
Chegg Honor Shield
Chegg Honor Shield targets contract cheating and AI-generated submissions in schools. It integrates well with other Chegg services, making it a good fit for institutions already using Chegg.
Learn more: Chegg Honor Shield
Scribbr Plagiarism Checker
Scribbr Plagiarism Checker leverages Turnitin’s robust database to deliver detailed plagiarism reports and additional services like proofreading. Its comprehensive analysis is ideal for thorough reviews.
Learn more: Scribbr Plagiarism Checker
Unicheck
Unicheck excels at identifying advanced cheating tactics, such as altered characters and concealed texts. It features a user-friendly interface, fast detection speeds, and detailed reports.
Learn more: Unicheck
Content at Scale
Content at Scale is designed to authenticate texts and detect AI-generated content in academic settings. It’s a good AI checker for teachers who need to verify the originality of large volumes of content, such as essays and reports.
Learn more: Content at Scale
Winston AI
Winston AI uses sophisticated algorithms to check for AI-generated text, helping educators maintain high academic standards. It’s especially useful in today’s educational landscape, where advanced AI text generators are increasingly common. Winston AI’s commitment to academic integrity makes it a popular choice among educators.
Learn more: Winston AI
AI Detector Pro
AI Detector Pro is tailored to pinpoint AI traces in text submissions, offering educators an extra layer of scrutiny to confirm the authenticity of student work. This tool is particularly valuable in environments where there’s a high risk of AI misuse.
Learn more: AI Detector Pro
ZeroGPT
ZeroGPT focuses on detecting content from AI models, ensuring the authenticity of student work. It excels at differentiating between human-written and AI-generated text, making it essential for teachers in today’s digital-first classrooms.
Learn more: ZeroGPT
Sapling
Sapling does more than just enhance grammar and sentences with AI—it also detects AI-generated text. The checker provides an overall percentage of how much of the text it deems suspicious, then gives specific sentence-by-sentence analysis of problems such as bland prose and inaccurate facts.
Learn more: Sapling
GLTR (Giant Language Model Test Room)
This tool does things a little differently. Developed by Harvard and MIT, GLTR actually uses statistical methods to determine whether a text was written by a human or AI. This statistical approach to identifying AI-generated content can be especially helpful in settings where ensuring authenticity is crucial.
Learn more: GLTR
Hugging Face
Hugging Face provides advanced AI detection tools that can spot AI-generated content. Renowned for its expertise in AI research and applications, Hugging Face is perfect for educators looking for the latest technology to safeguard the integrity of student work.
Learn more: Hugging Face
GPT-2 Output Detector (OpenAI)
Specifically designed to identify text generated by the GPT-2 model, this detector is a useful tool for spotting content that might not be original. It’s especially relevant in academic settings where the use of sophisticated AI writing tools can be a concern.
Learn more: GPT-2 Output Detector
Undetectable
Undetectable is designed to help identify text that has been modified to avoid detection by simpler AI detectors. This tool is crucial for catching the most sophisticated attempts at cheating, where students might use advanced techniques to make AI-generated text appear original.
Learn more: Undetectable