I cannot open my newsfeed or email without reading stories about how AI is impacting education, including hypotheses on how AI is changing the job market for new graduates, how AI in the workforce could influence curriculum, how students are using AI to cheat, and the perennial debate about the return on investment of a four-year degree.
Despite the constant chatter about AI, I don’t want to turn down the volume. My daughter likes reality TV; I’ve never really understood the pull of it until now. The intersection of AI and education is my reality TV. I’m hooked by the plot twists and turns related to the technologies, players, products, and debates. And, I am lucky enough to be in the position to hear first-hand from students and educators.
At Turnitin, we see two distinct student patterns emerging: 1) students who want to use AI as a guide to create more and communicate better and 2) students who want to use AI to avoid doing work, outsourcing their thinking and writing.
Here’s the first plot twist: for those students looking to use AI to shortcut their learning and work, a new set of tools has emerged that help students hide their use of AI. One of the fastest-growing forms of student misconduct is the use of “AI bypassers,” also known as “humanizers.”
Many of these companies market their tools to evade AI detection by altering AI-generated text to appear like it was written by a human. These tools all have one common characteristic: to conceal AI use from both educators and AI detectors.
Using AI to complete large portions of an assignment is already a problem, but bypassers raise the stakes. These tools are designed to mislead, and students who use AI bypassers as a shortcut, actively seek to avoid the learning process altogether. This isn’t plagiarism or overuse of AI, it’s outright deception. As stewards of academic integrity, we cannot ignore the long-term harm that this has on students and the value of a degree.
How AI bypasser detection addresses academic misconduct
Educators need solutions that promote transparency and accountability. With the right tools, students can demonstrate their learning and original work, thereby fostering transparency and trust between students and educators, and ensuring the integrity of the learning process.
That’s why, today, Turnitin is adding AI bypasser detection* to its AI writing detection capabilities, supporting educators as they address emerging forms of academic misconduct. These latest updates further ensure that Turnitin keeps pace with the evolving LLM landscape.
As with all of our AI writing detection capabilities, this is one piece of the puzzle—a signal that should be considered alongside other data points. Educators remain the decision-makers, using their expertise and context to determine whether misconduct has occurred.
Can AI enhance learning while maintaining trust?
Not all AI use is bad; when guided by transparency and purpose, it can inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and uphold the trust that’s at the heart of education. We have found the majority of students seek guidance for using AI, rather than using it to shortcut their learning. For those students, AI is a powerful tool in the learning process.
Last month, we introduced Turnitin Clarity , a learning solution designed to integrate ethical and responsible AI use into the academic journey. By providing an environment where students can write, revise, and reflect, and where educators have full visibility into the writing process, we help AI become a collaborator in learning rather than a substitute for effort.
Transparency and trust between educators and students is critical to preventing academic misconduct. When students knowingly conceal their use of AI to gain an unfair advantage, they undermine that trust, devalue the work of their peers, and jeopardize the integrity of the institution. When students understand expectations, policies, and the boundaries of ethical AI use, they’re better equipped to make the right decisions.
There is no place in education for companies who are not focused on improving learning outcomes and whose business models seek to erode trust and undermine the goals of education.
Maintaining academic integrity amidst emerging AI threats
We will continue to see plot twists and turns in my favorite reality show. AI will continue to evolve, and so will the ways it will be used and misused. With the right solutions, institutional policies on AI use, open dialogue between educators and students on their expectations of AI use, and ongoing education on responsible AI integration, we can ensure that technology enhances learning rather than undermines it.
With over 16,000 institutions relying on Turnitin, we’re committed to exposing risks like AI bypass tools and protecting the integrity of learning. Because the future of education must be built on one thing: trust.
*AI writing detection is available when licensing Turnitin Originality.