It is hard to tell if a human or AI wrote an essay. AI is getting better at writing. They can turn information into a nice essay that might look real. But you can still find out if AI wrote something. Here are five methods to check if AI wrote an essay.
Method 1: Analyzing writing style
To start, look at how the essay is written. People often write using their own style and express emotions. AI essays might feel stiff and lack a personal touch. AI can make sentences that are too complex or say the same thing many times. You can notice this in a human’s writing. For instance, an AI may write, “This essay talks about climate change, showing how it affects the environment and some solutions.” A person might write, “Climate change is more than a danger to nature. It threatens how we live. This essay will look at its effects and discuss ways to fight it.”
To figure out if AI helped write an essay, first check the writing style. People usually write with more detail and a unique style. They add their own stories and feelings that are hard for AI to copy. Understanding how human and AI writing differs is key in analysis.
We can spot AI writing by looking for sentences that are too complex or repeat too much. AIs can write things that are correct but hard to understand. AIs also cannot add personality to their writing, so it sounds plain. For instance, a person might write, “I am so excited to share this new tech with you,” but an AI would say, “This essay aims to present innovative technology information and its effects.”
Method 2: Examining content depth
The second way is to check how much the essay talks about the topic. AIs often write essays that just give basic facts. AIs understand the topic but only a little. This can cause mistakes or shallow writing. For example, an AI might write about AI, “AI will change the world by making choices for people.” But a human would talk more about what is good and bad about AI, like its ethical and social sides.
Another way to tell if an AI wrote something is by how much insight is in the writing. AI might seem right, but it misses the small details and deep thoughts that come from real knowledge and experience. AIs cannot really give new ideas and might just repeat what others have said before. AI may not focus on how relevant an argument is and can make content seem more important than it is.
Finding general information is key to understanding how deep content is. AI might just repeat facts and not add unique viewpoints like a person with experience would. For example, a person might say, “The car industry has to overcome big problems because of climate change,” but AI might say, “Climate change is a big problem for the car industry.”
Method 3: Checking for errors and inconsistencies
The third method is to look for mistakes and things that do not match in the essay. AI can make logical mistakes or say things that are not true, showing it is not a person. It might use strange words that a person would not say. For example, an AI could say, “The system for technology works in ways we don’t expect.” A person might say, “The way technology works can be hard to predict.”
When AI creates content, it can make unusual mistakes. Since AI does not feel or understand context, it might write sentences that do not make sense. For example, it might say, “I am so funny and the most beautiful in the world,” but a person would say, “I like to make jokes, and I care about how I look.” AI can also get idioms wrong and choose the wrong words.
If an essay has logic problems or facts that are wrong, it might be because AI wrote it. AI might miss mistakes that a person would notice easily. An AI essay might wrongly say, “Carbon dioxide emissions cause the ozone layer to deplete.” It should say, “Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide cause it.” Humans spot these mistakes, but AI might miss them.
AI uses strange words that humans would not use. This is okay for science topics but not for opinions. For example, an AI might write, “Healthcare gives medical help.” It should be “Doctors and nurses give the care you need.”
Method 4: Using AI detection tools
These tools check if an essay is from AI. They look for text that looks like things on the internet. This helps to find essays made by AI. But sometimes, AI changes words, so the tools cannot find them.
AI essays might just be copied from many places. AI detection tools find this by looking at the text. They see if it matches things from the internet. AI detection tools help find AI-written essays, but they do not always work. Sometimes, AI writes in ways that are hard for the tool to find. So, it is important to check the tool’s results in other ways. Look at the essay’s style and how deep the content is.
Methods 5: Comparing with previous work
Looking at an author’s older work is a good way to see if AI wrote an essay. Look for changes in how they write, what they say, and how well they write. This lets us understand the writer’s skills and if AI may have helped.
To check old work, look at the new essay and old writing from the same person. If their writing changes a lot, from personal to technical, it might mean AI wrote it.
Conclusion
Think about if a writer can get better or change their writing fast. If the old work gets better slowly, then the new essay might still be from a person, even if it looks different. Or a person’s style might change if they learn new things or get better at a topic. A fast change in style does not always mean AI did it.
The best way to find AI essays is by using human thinking. The methods we talked about help, but they are not enough alone. Human thinking and knowing can spot things in the essay that seem wrong and may show AI helped.