I'm an educator who has found AI-generated text by my students. What do I do?

Last updated: October 20, 2026

Firstly, at GPTZero, we don't believe that any AI detector is perfect. There always exist edge cases in both instances where AI is classified as human and where human is classified as AI. Nonetheless, we recommend that educators can do the following when they get a positive detection:

  1. Ask students to demonstrate their understanding in a controlled environment, whether through an in-person assessment or an editor that can track their edit history (for instance, using GPTZero Authorship in Google Docs). Examples of assignments that are difficult to complete with AI alone are listed below.

  2. Ask the student if they can produce artifacts of their writing process, such as drafts, revision histories, or brainstorming notes. For example, if the editor used to write the text has an edit history (such as Google Docs) and the text was typed with several edits over a reasonable period of time, it is likely the student's work is authentic. You can use GPTZero Authorship to replay the student's writing process and view signals that indicate the authenticity of the work.

  3. See if there is a history of AI-generated text in the student's work. We recommend looking for a long-term pattern of AI use, rather than a single instance, to determine whether the student is using AI.

We believe that the best outcome for educators and students arrives by working together proactively to understand the problem of AI misuse and find strategies that home in on the human value of education. For example, educators can:

  1. Help students understand the risks of using AI in their work (see this article to learn more) and the value of learning to express themselves. For example, in real-life, real-time collaboration, pitching, and debate, how does your class improve their ability to communicate when AI is not available?

  2. Create an assessment that cannot be answered by ChatGPT or other AI. Examples are in the list below.

  3. Ask students to produce multiple drafts of their work that they can revise with peers or with the educator, to help them understand that assignments are meant to teach a learning process.

  4. Ask students to produce work in a medium that is difficult to generate, such as PowerPoint presentations, visual displays, videos, or audio recordings.

  5. Set expectations with your students that you will be checking their work with an AI detector like GPTZero to deter misuse of AI.

What are examples of assignments that cannot be answered by ChatGPT or other AI?

  1. Ask students to write about personal experiences and how they relate to the text, or reflect on their learning experience in your class.

  2. Ask students to critique the default answer given by ChatGPT to your question.

  3. Require students to cite real primary sources to support their specific claims, or ask them to write about recent events.

  4. Assess students through a live discussion with their peers and use peer assessment tools (such as the one provided by our partner, Peerceptiv).

  5. Ask students to complete their assignments in class or in an interactive format, and shift lectures to take-home work.