Long before ChatGPT became a household name, educators and editors relied on anti-plagiarism tools. Now, the hunt for copied content has evolved into a war on AI-generated work. As quickly as students have embraced tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, teachers have adopted so-called AI detectors.

AI detectors use their own models to analyze text's wording, rhythm, and structure, but this process is subjective and can get tripped up by non-native speakers or neurodivergent writers. Despite Turnitin claiming its tool falsely flags less than 1% of human-written content as AI, the hunt for AI writing continues.

Accusations are flying across social media, with high-profile cases impacting people's livelihoods and reputations. Last month, Jerry Falade faced a million-dollar book deal drop over concerns he used AI, which he denies. Meanwhile, Thierry Rignol sued Yale after being accused of writing his final exam with AI.

AI detection tools may be biased against non-native English speakers or those with different writing styles. A 2023 Stanford study found that these tools falsely flagged essays written by non-native English speakers more often than native ones. These tools are not perfect, yet accusations continue to be thrown around, leaving many to wonder about the reliability of AI detectors.