First Ever Review: Turnitin’s Updated AI Detector & AI Paraphrasing Tool in Action

Introduction

Turnitin has recently announced the launch of its enhanced AI detection capabilities, particularly for detecting AI paraphrased content. Officially released on July 16, 2024, and rolled out in the subsequent days, this feature expands upon the company's existing AI writing detection technology. Customers utilizing Turnitin's Originality or Authenticate services can access the AI-powered paraphrasing detection feature, which activates automatically on all submissions unless disabled by an administrator.

What is AI Paraphrasing?

Turnitin defines paraphrasing as the act of rephrasing or restating someone else's ideas using the writer's own words and sentence structures. They argue that effective paraphrasing demonstrates comprehension of a topic. However, AI-generated paraphrasing differs significantly; AI paraphrasing tools analyze input text to produce alternative versions that convey the same information through different wording or structure. Turnitin highlights this distinction, labeling these tools as "Spinners."

The company conducted tests on popular paraphrasing tools such as QuillBot, Grammarly, Free Paraphraser, and Scribbr. Their findings suggest that their detection model can identify text modified by these tools as likely paraphrased. This raises concerns regarding academic integrity, as students may employ AI paraphrasing tools to alter AI-generated content and evade scrutiny, ultimately undermining their intellectual growth and development.

Addressing This Concern

Turnitin references a study discussing various strategies for evading AI detection, noting that using paraphrasing tools could lead to misclassifying AI-generated text as human-written. In response to these concerns, Turnitin’s AI paraphrasing detection feature aims to pinpoint instances where AI paraphrasing may modify AI-generated text within submissions.

The updated detection tool highlights text segments predicted to be written by AI tools and identifies any further modifications rendered through AI paraphrasing. This feature complements the existing similarity report, and users can distinguish AI-generated text from AI-paraphrased segments using color coding for clarity.

Discussion and Insights

Turnitin acknowledges that a sole reliance on technology to combat misuse may result in an ongoing arms race. They emphasize the importance of training staff to recognize the use of automated paraphrasing tools, urging that the data produced by their tools should serve as a starting point for broader discussions about academic integrity rather than a basis for punitive action.

A new FAQ page has been introduced, providing guidance on the capabilities of the AI paraphrasing detector. According to the FAQ, Turnitin can indeed detect writing modified through paraphrasing tools.

Testing the Tools

To evaluate the effectiveness of Turnitin's updated AI detection and paraphrasing tools, the author conducted a test using a ChatGPT-generated 1,000-word essay on cheating. The essay was subsequently paraphrased using QuillBot and an alternate free article spinner.

Testing the original ChatGPT text through Turnitin yielded a 100% AI-generated flag, a notable improvement from previous versions. The paraphrased output from QuillBot also returned a 100% AI-generated flag, stating that 9% was AI generated and 91% AI paraphrased, despite being entirely AI paraphrased. Even the article spinner's text was marked as 100% AI-generated.

While Turnitin's detection seems impressive, it may not accurately reflect the distinctions between AI-generated and paraphrased content.

Keywords

• Turnitin
• AI detector
• AI paraphrasing tool
• Academic integrity
• Paraphrasing tools
• QuillBot
• AI-generated content
• Detection technology

FAQ

Q: What is Turnitin’s new AI paraphrasing detection feature?
A: This feature enhances the existing AI detector by identifying instances where AI-generated text has been modified through AI paraphrasing tools.

Q: How does Turnitin determine if text is AI-generated or paraphrased?
A: Turnitin runs submissions through their AI writing model first. If flagged as AI-generated, it is then analyzed for potential paraphrasing.

Q: Can Turnitin detect content paraphrased by tools like QuillBot?
A: Yes, Turnitin can detect text that has been generated by AI tools and further modified by AI paraphrasing tools.

Q: What measures should be taken to maintain academic integrity?
A: Turnitin suggests that discussions about the use of paraphrasing tools and adherence to academic integrity standards should be prioritized, rather than solely relying on detection technology.

Q: How does the recent update improve upon previous versions?
A: The latest update reflects improved accuracy in identifying potentially AI-generated and AI-paraphrased content, significantly enhancing Turnitin’s capability in this area.