Turnitin, a provider of plagiarism checker software, plans to update its products in 2023 to tackle the threat of advanced AI writing tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Turnitin aims to launch AI-created content detection software in 2023
The software is designed to recognize the signature of AI-assisted writing, a capability developed over the last two and a half years by Turnitin. Academic guidelines are also expected to evolve to ensure the authenticity of student essays. The company aims to launch AI-created content detection software in 2023 and will gather data and user feedback based on trials of a prototype version.
The Implications of AI Content Detection Feature Incorrectly Identifying Student Content as Plagiarized from ChatGPT
In recent years, the use of AI-powered plagiarism detection software has become increasingly popular in the education sector. One such software, Turnitin, recently announced the addition of a new AI content detection feature that promises to identify even the slightest instances of plagiarism in student submissions. While the intention behind this feature is commendable, the implications of its potential inaccuracies are concerning.
One such potential hazard is the possibility of the AI incorrectly identifying student content as being plagiarized from sources such as ChatGPT. This can occur when the AI is unable to accurately differentiate between original content generated by a student and content generated by an AI language model like ChatGPT. In such cases, students can be unfairly penalized for submitting content that is original but appears to be plagiarized due to the AI’s incorrect identification.
This potential hazard raises several implications for students. Firstly, the incorrect identification of student content as being plagiarized from sources like ChatGPT can have a significant impact on their academic progress and future opportunities. This is because plagiarism is considered a serious offense in the academic world, and students who are found guilty of it can face severe consequences, including suspension or expulsion.
Moreover, the incorrect identification of student content as being plagiarized can also harm their reputation and self-esteem. This is because students who are accused of plagiarism are often seen as cheating and lacking integrity, even if the allegations are proven false. This can cause lasting damage to their reputation and confidence, making it difficult for them to bounce back and succeed academically and professionally.
Another implication of the AI content detection feature’s inaccuracies is the potential for students to become overly reliant on AI language models like ChatGPT. If students believe that the AI will correctly identify their content as original, they may be tempted to rely on such models to complete their assignments, instead of doing the necessary research and writing the content themselves. This can be detrimental to their academic development, as students will not be able to develop critical thinking and writing skills, which are essential for success in higher education and in the workforce.
Turnitin CEO Chris Caren has revealed that the company has been researching and developing technology to recognize the signature of AI-assisted writing for the last two and a half years. However, some experts are concerned that digital watermarks embedded in AI-generated writing may soon become useless once bypasses emerge.
Eric Wang, VP of AI at Turnitin, believes that machines write in a very different way to humans and that natural language processing is a statistical approach to generating text, which will be a challenge for plagiarism checker software.
Penalizing students who have correctly spelled all the words in their essays and understand the rules of grammar is not a practical solution for plagiarism checker tools, which will have to be designed to reward original thought and new ideas. ChatGPT is trained on text scraped from the internet, and any errors within the training data will persist, making fact-checking a challenge for the software.
Turnitin is motivated to keep up with AI writing tools such as ChatGPT, as the software has been used by 15,000 institutions across 140 countries. It remains to be seen how the next-generation plagiarism checker will mitigate against scenarios where students submit AI-generated writing as their own work. However, it feels like a missed opportunity if plagiarism checker software condemns the use of AI writing aids, which have become widespread in the industry and can provide creative inspiration.
the implications of AI content detection feature’s inaccuracies in identifying student content as being plagiarized from sources like ChatGPT are significant and far-reaching. It is crucial that software like Turnitin take measures to ensure that their AI algorithms are as accurate as possible, so as to minimize the potential harm to students and their academic progress. Additionally, students must understand the importance of doing their own research and writing their own content, rather than relying on AI language models like ChatGPT. Only by taking these steps can we ensure that the education system remains fair, equitable, and supportive of student success.
