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After consulting Undergraduate Associate Deans, AFIW Academic Deans, the Undergraduate Operations Committee, Work Integrated Learning (WIL), Cooperative and Experiential Education (CEE), and the EdTech Steering Committee, the decision was made to discontinue the AI detection tool in Turnitin. This function will no longer be available to University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ users as of September 2025.

Rationale for this decision

Research has shown that AI detection tools are unreliable (;ÌýÌý;ÌýÌý). AI detection tools have also been found to be biased toward students whose first language is not English (;Ìý). Furthermore, internal testing by the University’s Instructional Technologies and Media Services (ITMS) group found the advantages of the detection tool were inconclusive. For example, in more than one instance the product flagged human written text as 100% generated by AI, which is concerning.

Given the expense of the tool in U.S. dollars, unreliability, and bias, it was determined the costs associated with Turnitin’s AI detection feature outweigh the benefits.

While detecting prohibited use of AI is important, there are no products on the market that can effectively identify GenAI. Time and effort are best spent on education rather than policing misuse of GenAI. Instructors are encouraged to focus on assessment redesign, AI literacy and integrity.

Content redesign, working with AI, and academic integrity

The following internal supports are available:

• Course and assignment redesign, Centre for Teaching Excellent (Faculty liaisons)
• Online course and assignment redesign, Centre for Extended Learning (Agile development team)
• Designing written assignment, Writing and Communications Centre
• Encouraging students to work with integrity, Office of Academic Integrity

External resources: