AI Checker – How to check if AI has been used to create content
Artificial Intelligence

How to Check if AI Was Used

Mandi D 7 November 2023
Table of contents

ChatGPT is an amazing creation by OpenAI, showcasing a remarkable achievement in artificial intelligence. It has been carefully trained to understand and produce text that closely resembles human language. When you talk to ChatGPT, it feels like you’re chatting with a knowledgeable friend who can discuss a wide range of topics effortlessly.

Beyond just being entertaining, ChatGPT has changed the way we interact with technology. It now plays a significant role in various industries, providing real-time customer support and creating engaging content. It has become an essential tool in our modern world, integrated into different platforms and applications.

But here’s an interesting question: how can you tell if a piece of text was written by a human or generated by ChatGPT? Despite its human-like responses, there are methods to detect AI involvement in crafting the text.

Understanding How ChatGPT and Other AI tools Work

Understanding how ChatGPT operates can provide fascinating insights into the world of artificial intelligence. At its core, ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI, powered by the GPT-3.5 architecture.

This impressive AI creation is trained on a massive dataset of diverse texts, ranging from books and articles to internet content. The training process involves exposing the model to vast amounts of data, allowing it to learn the intricacies of human language and context.

Once trained, ChatGPT can generate human-like responses to a wide range of prompts. When given a text input, it analyzes the context, identifies patterns, and predicts the most likely next words or phrases to form a coherent and relevant response.

This process is based on its understanding of grammar, syntax, and semantics acquired during training. ChatGPT’s ability to generate creative and contextually appropriate responses stems from its vast knowledge base and the clever use of probabilities to determine the most probable word sequences.

While ChatGPT is undeniably impressive, it’s important to recognize its limitations. It lacks true comprehension and consciousness; it doesn’t possess real understanding or awareness like a human does. Instead, it relies on patterns and probabilities in the data it was trained on.

This means that while it can produce coherent responses, it may occasionally generate inaccurate or nonsensical outputs, especially when presented with prompts outside the scope of its training data. Understanding these strengths and limitations helps us appreciate the remarkable technology behind ChatGPT and use it responsibly and effectively in various applications.

How to Check if AI has been used to create Content

By understanding the limitations of AI tools such as ChatGPT, we can identify various methods and techniques to determine whether AI has been used to craft a piece of content and make informed judgments about the authenticity and sources of the content you may encounter.

Method 1: Analyzing Textual Patterns

Just like a detective solving a case, we can find clues in the text to see if our AI friend, ChatGPT, had a hand in it. Let’s investigate together!

Clue 1: Repeating Phrases – Humans usually try to avoid saying the same thing over and over again. But sometimes, ChatGPT might repeat certain phrases, giving us a hint that it’s behind the text.

Clue 2: Vague Statements – ChatGPT is good at being ambiguous, especially when faced with specific or specialized questions it hasn’t encountered before. So, if the text seems unclear or more general than what a human would say, ChatGPT might be involved.

Clue 3: No Personal Experience – Since ChatGPT doesn’t have personal experiences or feelings, it won’t talk about personal stories or emotions. If the text lacks real personal experiences or emotions, it could be a sign that ChatGPT wrote it.

Method 2: Ask Specific Questions

Now that we’re playing the role of interviewers, let’s use this clever strategy to uncover whether we’re interacting with ChatGPT. It’s like playing a game of 20 questions, where asking precise inquiries can reveal the AI mystery. Here’s what to do:

Clue 1: Recent Events – ChatGPT’s knowledge is only up to September 2021. It doesn’t know about things happening after that date. So, if we ask about recent news or developments, ChatGPT might not have the answers, suggesting it’s behind the responses.

Clue 2: Personal Questions – Trying to get personal experiences or self-aware responses from ChatGPT won’t work because it doesn’t have such experiences. If the responses avoid personal questions or seem awkward, it’s likely ChatGPT generating them.

Method 3: Use a Detection Tool

After our detective and interviewer roles, let’s now dive into the tech-savvy part of our journey. We’re going to explore AI checkers.

AI detection tools work like metal detectors used by treasure hunters. They help us find AI-generated text by looking for certain patterns often associated with AI content. These patterns include repeating phrases, vague statements, and the absence of personal experiences.

However, it’s important to know that these tools, just like humans, can make mistakes. Sometimes, they may falsely identify human-written text as AI-generated (false positives) or miss AI-generated text (false negatives). While these tools are helpful, it’s still crucial to use our own judgment and the methods we discussed earlier to accurately identify AI-generated content.

These advanced tools act as digital detectives, scouring texts for telltale signs of AI-generated content. By analyzing patterns commonly associated with AI language, such as repetitive phrases, vague statements, and the absence of personal experiences, as mentioned above, these checkers can flag potential AI involvement.

Whilst they offer an efficient way to spot AI-generated content, it’s essential to exercise caution, as they may sometimes produce false positives or miss AI-generated text. Combining AI checkers with human judgment and other detection methods ensures a more accurate identification of AI content, empowering users to navigate the online world with greater transparency and awareness.

Originality.ai

Originality.ai is a renowned AI-powered tool that specializes in content detection. Users appreciate its swift and accurate ability to identify AI-generated content, ensuring the authenticity and originality of written materials. The tool excels in real-time content detection, making it invaluable for those who require quick verification of their content’s authenticity. Its fast yet reliable analysis makes it an effective ally in preserving content integrity. Additionally, Originality.ai offers a Chrome extension, allowing users to analyze text while browsing on-the-go.

Key Features:

  • Industry-leading accuracy in detecting AI content.
  • Real-time detection of AI-generated content.
  • Convenient Google Chrome extension.
  • Breakdown of AI and Human text.
  • API for text analysis at scale.

Authors can scan various types of content by entering it on the website’s front-end, connecting through the API, or using the Chrome extension to scan specific URLs.

Best For: Originality.ai suits content creators, editors, and digital marketers who require a quick check of their content’s originality. Its real-time detection is especially valuable in fast-paced environments where time is crucial. Digital marketers can ensure their content remains unique to maintain brand reputation and SEO rankings. The tool also offers user seats, facilitating efficient teamwork.

Pricing: $0.01 per credit, with one credit scanning approximately 100 words.

GPTZero

Designed with simplicity in mind, GPTZero is primarily targeted at educators and educational institutions. It provides various plagiarism detection tools suitable for academic use. The tool offers a straightforward solution for identifying AI-generated content. Though its simplicity appeals to some, its integrations with LMSs (Learning Management Systems) and MS Word offer advanced functionality.

Key Features:

  • Clean user experience for simple text checking.
  • Quick content check with specific model focus (e.g., GPT 3, Bard).
  • MS Word and LMS integrations.

GPTZero simplifies AI content scanning within Word documents, saving time by eliminating the need to copy and paste data.

Best For: Educators and department heads researching AI use in academic work find GPTZero ideal. Its user-friendly design suits those new to AI content detection. The tool assists educational institutions in managing AI adoption in their workflows.

Pricing: Free to use on their website, but API usage may incur costs.

Sapling AI Detector

Known for its other AI tools, Sapling also offers an AI content detection tool. It guarantees highly accurate detection of AI-generated content, even in short-form texts. Color-coded results aid user interpretation, enhancing the tool’s user-friendliness.

Key Features:

  • Provides an overall percentage of inauthentic content.
  • Access to API for bulk or app-based content checking.
  • Works inside CRMs and email clients.

Sapling’s AI content detector serves customer support and sales teams, generating comprehensive reports for coaching and training purposes.

Best For: Sapling suits customer support or sales professionals. The tool provides a solid text generation detection feature. Paid plans offer higher word count limits for detection.

Pricing: Free to use on their website, with paid plans starting at $25/mo for extended features.

Writer.com AI Content Detector

Writer.com offers more than just writing assistance; it provides an all-in-one platform for improving writing and identifying AI-generated content. This comprehensive solution aims to ensure grammatical correctness and uniqueness. It goes beyond detecting AI-generated content, focusing on enhancing overall writing quality.

Key Features:

  • Provides grammatical suggestions, tone recommendations, and a plagiarism checker.
  • Can detect AI-generated content from URLs or pasted text.
  • Allows up to 1,500 characters checked for free.
  • Offers various other AI writing tools and features.

Writer.com’s AI detection tools integrate seamlessly with content generation, offering a holistic approach for writers.

Best For: Professional writers and copywriters benefit from Writer.com’s ability to verify well-written and AI-free content. Its comprehensive features make it suitable for enhancing writing skills and maintaining content quality. Content marketers use the tool to uphold content originality and improve their writing.

Pricing: $18/mo per user.

Copyleaks

Copyleaks provides a user-friendly AI-content detector on its website. This free service screens text using AI-based context analysis. It also offers a Chrome Extension for real-time detection while browsing. The tool specializes in detecting AI-generated academic content and various other types that may compromise content integrity.

Key Features:

  • Simple-to-use plagiarism and AI detection.
  • LMS integrations, including Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle.
  • Chrome Extension for real-time detection.

Copyleaks collaborates with major Learning Management Systems to ensure the integrity of academic assignments. Educators use it to grade assignments fairly and objectively.

Best For: Educators, students, and content creators who need to catch AI-generated content find Copyleaks useful. Its ability to assess various AI-driven content makes it valuable for academic and professional contexts.

Pricing: Plans start at $10.99/mo with a limited free version available.

OpenAI Text Classifier

The OpenAI Text Classifier is a tool developed by OpenAI, a leading organization specializing in artificial intelligence. Its primary purpose is to distinguish between human-written and AI-written text. Given OpenAI’s expertise in creating AI-generated content, the Classifier has valuable insights into detecting such content. While not always 100% reliable, it performs best with longer input texts. OpenAI generously offers this Classifier for public use, free of charge, similar to its ChatGPT 3.5 tool.

Key Features:

  • High accuracy in identifying if the author is human or AI.
  • Free to use and available for everyone.
  • Easy integration with APIs.

OpenAI has been at the forefront of generative AI, and the Text Classifier helps raise awareness about the complexities of this technology. For those who trust OpenAI and ChatGPT, this tool proves to be an excellent AI content finder.

Best For: Individuals and professionals needing to verify the origin of their content will find the OpenAI Text Classifier practical. OpenAI designed this tool to help users understand the limitations of AI and educate them about AI technology in general.

Pricing: Free to use.

CrossPlag AI Content Detector

CrossPlag AI is a tool designed to detect AI-generated content with precision. It emphasizes simplicity, making it a favorite among users seeking quick and accurate results. The tool’s intuitive interface and rapid detection make it a reliable choice for maintaining content integrity. Additionally, its unique thermometer scale graphic visually represents AI-generated content, making the results easily understandable.

Key Features:

  • Thermometer scale for visually scoring confidence levels.
  • Pricing options for individuals and institutions.
  • Ensures data protection by not storing any submitted content.

CrossPlag offers user roles, making it an excellent product for teams. Writers and editors can use it to check for AI-written content and plagiarism.

Best For: CrossPlag AI serves content creators and SEO professionals who need to ensure the originality of their content. Its fast detection makes it ideal for managing large content volumes and quickly checking for AI-generated text. SEO professionals benefit from maintaining content originality to improve website SEO rankings. Moreover, teams and institutions can efficiently check for plagiarism and AI content using this platform.

Pricing: $9.99 for 5,000 words, with different pricing tiers available for organizations.

Content at Scale AI Text Detector

Content at Scale stands out by offering an AI detector as part of its AI writing platform. This comprehensive solution aims to provide users with deep insights into the genuineness of their content. Beyond just detecting AI-generated content, it helps users understand the reasoning behind the AI detection verdict. Its standout feature, the “Human Content Score,” offers a careful analysis of the content, making it an invaluable resource for those seeking to understand why a piece of content might be flagged as AI-generated.

Key Features:

  • Unique Human Content Score.
  • Quick verdict on the likely origin of content.
  • Comprehensive insight into the reasoning behind the scoring.

Content at Scale provides an additional option worth considering. Users appreciate the breakdown of scores, making it easy to understand and act upon the results.

Best For: Content at Scale is an ideal tool for businesses and content creators seeking a deeper understanding of their content’s authenticity. Its unique scoring system offers a detailed content analysis, making it an excellent choice for those interested in understanding why a piece of content might be flagged as AI-generated. It particularly benefits content teams responsible for generating large volumes of content, seeking assistance in writing and analyzing their work.

Pricing: Starts at $250/mo for the entire SEO writing platform (including AI content detection).

AISEO Content Detection

AISEO offers a comprehensive platform with various tools, one of which is the AI Content Detector. This tool scans text to identify patterns indicative of AI-generated content. While the platform provides a range of tools, the AI Content Detector stands out as a valuable resource for maintaining the authenticity of digital content. Users can utilize the rest of the platform for creating AI-generated content with quick and practical workflows.

Key Features:

  • Helps generate SEO-optimized copy.
  • Easy to use, yielding accurate results.
  • Offers comprehensive reporting for easy understanding of insights.

Every tool in the AISEO product is designed for SEO. As quality and original content are crucial for SEO success, AISEO assists writers and content marketers in ensuring their content remains fresh and unique.

Best For: The AISEO Content Detection tool is a good fit for content marketers and editors who need to check the originality of their content. It is excellent for analyzing large volumes of content and providing a deep understanding of content originality. Businesses seeking to create quality content find its advanced writing features advantageous. Moreover, SEO professionals benefit from ensuring content uniqueness to improve website SEO rankings.

AI Checker Websites

  1. Originality.ai: A renowned AI-powered tool specializing in content detection. It offers real-time detection, a Chrome extension, and breakdown of AI and human text.
  2. GPTZero: Targeted at educators and educational institutions, GPTZero provides plagiarism detection tools suitable for academic use.
  3. Sapling AI Detector: Known for its other AI tools, Sapling offers a reliable AI content detection tool with color-coded results for easy interpretation.
  4. Writer.com AI Content Detector: A comprehensive platform that includes an AI Content Detector, grammatical suggestions, tone recommendations, and more.
  5. Copyleaks: Offers a user-friendly AI-content detector with LMS integrations and a Chrome extension for real-time detection.
  6. OpenAI Text Classifier: A tool developed by OpenAI to distinguish between human-written and AI-written text.
  7. CrossPlag AI Content Detector: Emphasizes simplicity with rapid and accurate detection and a thermometer scale graphic for visual scoring.
  8. Content at Scale AI Text Detector: Part of a comprehensive AI writing platform with a unique Human Content Score.
  9. AISEO Content Detection: A comprehensive platform offering an AI Content Detector along with various other tools for content creation and analysis.