Can Turnitin AI Writing Detection Indicator Detect Grammarly?

In the world of academic writing, ensuring your submission is free from both grammatical errors and unauthorized AI-generated content is crucial. This article delves into whether Turnitin's AI writing detection tools can identify the use of Grammarly, an immensely popular grammar checker, and how you can stay ahead of any potential pitfalls.

Understanding the Basics

When you write an essay and run it through Grammarly for grammatical corrections, the document remains your own. The words are authored by you, and any grammatical errors are merely fixed by a tool designed to enhance clarity and adherence to language rules. This process is akin to using Microsoft Word’s built-in grammar checker, where the original content and ideas are preserved while the text is cleaned up for better readability.

Turnitin's Focus and AI Detection

Turnitin's AI writing detection tools primarily focus on identifying text that appears to be generated by AI rather than human-written content. When you correct your essay using Grammarly, the modifications are typically minor, such as fixing spelling, grammar, and punctuation. These changes are unlikely to trigger Turnitin's detection algorithms, as they are more concerned with AI-generated content rather than human-proofed text.

Substantial Changes and Risk of Detection

However, if Grammarly's suggestions lead to substantial alterations in terms of structure or style, there might be a risk of detection. For instance, if Grammarly heavily rephrases your original text, making it look artificially generated, this could raise flags. It's generally acceptable to use Grammarly for minor corrections as long as you maintain the original ideas and wording.

Turnitin AI Detection Exclusions

Turnitin's AI detection tools do not target corrections made by Grammarly. For example, spelling, grammar, and punctuation changes are not flagged. However, there is an exception for GrammarlyGo, which is a generative AI writing tool. Content produced using GrammarlyGo is more likely to be flagged as AI-generated, as this tool is specifically designed to generate text.

Using AI for Proofreading

Many educators, particularly those dealing with international students or those with lower proficiency in the language, may advise using AI tools like ChatGPT for proofreading. While it's ideal for students to do their own proofreading, these tools can be a helpful resource for those who find it challenging due to language barriers.

It's worth noting that Turnitin's AI detection works indirectly. The system checks for similarities in your text against a vast database of essays submitted to academic institutions. If your text closely matches an essay generated by an AI, this might trigger detection. However, corrections made by Grammarly are not likely to be flagged, as they do not create such a direct match.

Preventive Measures

To stay safe and maintain academic integrity, consider keeping a copy of your essay before running it through Grammarly. Additionally, it's a good idea to take screenshots of the instructions you entered into Grammarly and the output. This documentation can be useful if there is any question about the origin of the text.

In conclusion, while Turnitin's AI detection tools primarily focus on identifying AI-generated content, minor changes made using Grammarly are unlikely to trigger a detection. Maintaining originality and authenticity in your writing is key to avoiding any issues with academic integrity.