Can you detect generative AI text?

As potentially thousands of students face accusations of using generative AI, we’ve decided to put you to the ultimate AI detector test.

Are you a master AI detector? Take our generative AI quiz.

As generative artificial intelligence moves from clunky fantastical sentences into a sophisticated tool which outsmarts libraries, search engines and apps, universities are working overtime to preserve academic integrity within their institutions.

But it has come as thousands of students are at the forefront of AI accusations as universities scramble to detect cheating errors.

One way to detect AI is using a tool, such as the Turnitin AI detection tool, but even though the company touts a 1 per cent false positive rate, it caveats the findings by telling educators it is merely a marker, and should not be used in isolation to determine AI writing.

So, human judgement should be easier, but is it?

How do you face up to detecting whether a paragraph has been written by AI or by a human?

Let’s do a warm up:

Which paragraph was written by Tony Abbott, Australia’s former prime minister, or ChatGPT in the voice of Tony Abbott?

Paragraph A

Queen Elizabeth II was a steadfast beacon of dignity and duty, serving the Commonwealth with unwavering dedication. Her reign was marked by grace, resilience and a profound sense of responsibility that inspired countless people across generations. As a symbol of continuity and unity, her legacy will endure as a guiding light for the future.

Paragraph B

Probably not a single death in human history will be as widely felt as that of Queen Elizabeth II.

Thanks to television, that was just coming into its own at the start of her reign, there’d hardly be anyone, anywhere unfamiliar with her. Unlike mere celebrities, she’s been consequential; and unlike elected heads of state, as a monarch for life, she’s been centrestage for more than seven decades.

Answer: Paragraph B.

Easy? Now you’ve warmed up, try the full quiz and check out the answer explanations here, along with how some free AI detection tools fared.