As most teachers already know, maintaining academic integrity is tougher than ever. With the rise of AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT, students are producing AI-generated content and passing it off as their own.
The solution for teachers? AI detection tools. These tools use algorithms that analyze text patterns and structures to predict if a student’s work was generated by AI. In this article, we run through the best AI detection tools for teachers and educators. Use these to spot AI-assisted cheating and make sure your students’ work is genuinely theirs.
An important note on AI detection tools
While AI detection tools are a valuable resource for teachers, they are not foolproof. These tools are designed to flag potential AI-generated content based on patterns and structures. However, it is important not to rely solely on AI detection tools but to combine them with other methods of assessment and monitoring. If you suspect a student has used AI to cheat, it’s best to investigate further and have a conversation with the student to address the issue.
Best AI Detectors for Teachers and Educators (Free & Paid Options)
#1: Revision History
While not a traditional AI detection tool, Revision History is the best solution for teachers to identify AI-generated content. The basic version of the Revision History extension for Chrome and Edge browsers is 100% FREE and enables educators to see the edit history of students’ assignments in Google Docs.
The extension adds a bar to the top of Google Docs with statistics like time spent writing, number of deletions and copy/pastes, etc. The extension’s replay feature lets you watch a video of the student writing their paper.
What should teachers use this tool for? That’s completely their choice. Some teachers use it to check for cheating, while others leverage the tool to help students with the process of revising papers. Because Revision History gives teachers info on how students draft and revise papers, it enables them to work with students more effectively on their revisions.
More info to know about Revision History:
- This tool respects your privacy (and that of your students), so no student data, including the document text, is ever sent to Revision History’s servers.
- The tool does not require students to install anything. It analyzes writing patterns using data stored by Google Docs.
- We recommend informing students that you use this tool. This will deter cheating in the first place and helps you use the plugin most effectively, as it only tracks revisions that were made in Google Docs (and not content that was copy/pasted or loaded in from Word, for example).
- Try it for free! It takes less than a minute to install.
- The extension is available on the Google Chrome Store. It works in the Chrome and Edge browsers.
#2: Draftback
Draftback is a Chrome extension that allows teachers to play back the revision history of a Google Doc. It’s a useful tool for educators to track the writing process of students, identify patterns, and ensure academic integrity. Draftback provides insights into the evolution of a document, including the time spent on each revision, deletions, and additions.
#3: GPTZero
GPTZero is a leading AI detection tool known for its capabilities in identifying content generated by AI models such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, Google-Gemini, LLaMa, and others. It integrates research from institutions like Princeton and Caltech to continuously improve accuracy and reliability. Key features include Deep Scan for detailed text analysis, color-coded highlights for AI-human distinctions, and statistical insights into AI probabilities at the sentence level.
Pricing starts with a free basic plan allowing up to 10,000 words monthly, with essential and premium tiers available at $10 and $16 per month respectively. These plans scale with increased word limits and additional features such as plagiarism scanning and multilingual detection, catering to educators and institutions needing comprehensive AI detection solutions.
#4: Winston AI Detection
Winston AI provides AI detection for teachers, offering accuracy in identifying AI-generated text from models like ChatGPT, GPT-4, and Google Gemini. It’s updated to align with LLM advancements, enabling Winston AI to provide reliable results. Users can create a free account to organize and categorize documents with ease, using features like labeling and document type viewing. Text can be checked via quick scan or by uploading .docx, .png, and .jpg files. With OCR technology, handwritten text can be analyzed.
Winston AI provides a detailed assessment, showing the likelihood of text being AI-generated on a 0-100 scale, along with a sentence-by-sentence analysis. It also includes a plagiarism checker and printable reports. It detects paraphrased and humanized content, supports multiple languages, and has GDPR-compliant data security.
#5: Turnitin AI Detection
Turnitin’s AI writing detection tool helps educators, publishers, and researchers identify the use of AI writing tools like ChatGPT in submitted work. It’s accessible for Turnitin Feedback Studio, Turnitin Similarity, and Originality Check customers through Turnitin Originality licensing, while iThenticate 2.0 customers can license it separately.
Turnitin’s AI detector, tailored for student writing, excels at distinguishing between AI-generated and human-written content. With 25 years of experience in academic writing, Turnitin’s technology effectively identifies AI content in student submissions. It integrates seamlessly into their Similarity Report and can be accessed through learning management systems.
#6: Passed.AI Detection & Plagiarism
Passed.AI is an AI checker for educators, offering comprehensive detection and plagiarism checks. The platform provides robust Document Audits, including an AI Reliance Assessment and Plagiarism Detection, to measure the extent of AI usage and identify non-cited passages.
Passed.AI also offers detailed Academic Honesty Reports to validate the originality of student assignments, which is beneficial for students wrongfully accused of AI use. The Replay Tool allows educators to observe the writing process in real-time, providing further clarity and confidence in the reports.
Additional features like Revision Tracking and Contribution Analysis offer insights into individual and collaborative efforts, while the Time Investment Assessment evaluates the duration spent on assignments. The Writing Flow Examination ensures the natural progression and coherence of student work, distinguishing genuine engagement from potential AI over-reliance.
#7: OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier
OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier was developed to distinguish between AI-generated and human-written text. However, as of July 20, 2023, it has been discontinued due to its low accuracy. The classifier was effective only 26% of the time for detecting AI-written text and had a 9% false positive rate for human-written content.
Despite its limitations, OpenAI aimed to use it to mitigate false claims and academic dishonesty. They are now focusing on developing more reliable provenance techniques for text, audio, and visual content.
#8: Originality AI
Originality AI offers a toolset designed for educators and teachers to ensure the integrity of published content. It features an accurate AI content detector, a plagiarism checker, and a fact-checking aid, helping educators verify that student submissions and academic publications are original and reliable. With a focus on academic integrity, Originality AI provides detailed plagiarism scores, AI detection scores, and readability scores.
The tool’s advanced AI algorithms, with a high accuracy rate on GPT-4, effectively detect AI-generated and paraphrased content, reducing the risk of academic dishonesty. Additionally, the system’s automated fact-checking aid saves time by providing context and verifying facts in real-time, ensuring the accuracy of educational materials. Originality AI’s user-friendly interface enables educators to manage and monitor content easily, adding and removing team members, tracking revisions, and sharing reports.
#9: Phrasly.AI
Unlike the previous tools, Phrasly.AI is designed for students, not teachers. However, it’s crucial for educators to be aware of this tool. Phrasly.AI allows students to humanize AI-generated work, potentially bypassing AI detectors like Turnitin and GPTZero.
The tool includes features for organizing and generating papers with custom citations, and a highly accurate AI detector to check for detection risks. Educators need to stay informed about tools like this in order to uphold academic integrity and address the evolving challenges in AI-generated content detection.
#10: Writer AI Content Detection
Writer AI Content Detection is a free AI detection tool that allows users to check up to 5,000 words for AI-generated content. No sign-in or account creation is necessary. Users can paste a text and select “Analyze text” to get results. There’s a minimum of 60 words required per check.
If your document exceeds the word limit, they recommend checking 1-2 paragraphs at a time to pinpoint AI-generated sections. Note that AI content detection is also available through the Writer app’s API.
#11: Brisk Teaching
While not primarily an AI detection tool, Brisk Teaching is a platform that offers a suite of tools for educators to enhance student learning and engagement. It includes an AI detection feature that identifies AI-generated content in student submissions, helping teachers maintain academic integrity.
#12: Content at Scale
Content at Scale offers an AI Detector with a high accuracy rate for identifying AI-generated text from models like ChatGPT, GPT4, Bard, Claude, and Gemini. This tool helps educators verify the originality and authenticity of student submissions.
Note that the pro version allows for rewriting AI-detected sentences to sound more human-like, enhancing readability and avoiding detection (which students may try to use). Priced at $49 per month, the tool includes features like unlimited AI detection scans and the ability to create undetectable AI documents.
#13: Crossplag
Crossplag provides teachers and educational institutions with a comprehensive tool for detecting similarity and predicting AI-generated text integrity in assessments. It emphasizes security, scalability, modularity, and customization, catering to varied educational environments.
The platform integrates with other learning and assessment systems, facilitating adaptable assessment processes. Supported by a community of assessment experts and educators, Crossplag aims to enhance student outcomes by ensuring academic integrity and enabling institutions to deliver assessments effectively in digital and online formats.
#14: Copyleaks AI Content Detector
Copyleaks AI Content Detector offers comprehensive coverage across AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, detecting AI-generated text with high accuracy. It offers multilingual support in 30 languages and includes features for detecting plagiarism, paraphrased AI content, and AI-generated source code.
With a minimal false positive rate, Copyleaks offers high precision in identifying AI-generated content while maintaining robust security standards including SOC 2 and SOC 3 certifications. Continual model testing and updates enhance its accuracy and coverage, making it a reliable choice for teachers seeking to uphold academic integrity and originality in content creation.
#15: QuillBot Free AI Detector
QuillBot Free AI Detector is a tool designed to identify AI-generated content from sources like ChatGPT, GPT-4, and Google Gemini across multiple languages including English, German, Spanish, and French. It detects patterns indicative of AI, such as repetitive words, awkward phrasing, and unnatural flow, flagging them for review.
Ideal for teachers, it ensures assignments, research papers, and homework remain authentically human-written. The tool offers unlimited checks at no cost and provides feedback paragraph by paragraph, highlighting sections with AI-detected content. QuillBot’s AI Detector is distinguished by its capability to detect both direct and paraphrased AI content, making it a valuable asset in maintaining academic honesty and quality assurance in educational settings.
Wrapping Up: Choosing an AI Writing Detection Tool for Teachers
With the rise of AI, staying on top of academic integrity can be a roller coaster for teachers. Tools like ChatGPT make it easy for students to pass off AI-generated work as their own. But fear not, teachers! The AI detection tools we’ve explored here enable you to uncover instances of AI-assisted cheating effectively (we included the best free and paid AI detectors for teachers). While these tools may not be the final word, think of them as your trusty sidekicks.