With the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Jasper, concerns have appeared. They have reshaped how we write, learn, and assess information.

In education, this shift raises a key question about how to maintain academic integrity with AI.

Some colleges and universities once considered banning the use of AI. But today, most are moving towards a more practical and thoughtful goal: helping students use AI ethically while ensuring fair assessment.

AI content detection has emerged to identify if a text is human-written or AI-generated. But, are AI detectors accurate? 

This article explores how AI detectors work, their power and limitations, and how Compilatio’s AI detection tools contribute to a fairer, more informed use of AI in education.

 

 Summary: 

  1. AI detectors: how they work
  2. Accuracy: reliability of AI detectors
  3. AI detection: limitations and powers
  4. Compilatio: AI detection for education
  5. Future of AI detection: alongside AI

 

 

1. AI detectors: how they work

 

How do AI detectors work?
 

AI detectors are tools that analyze pieces of text to determine if they are human-written or AI-generated. But how accurate are AI detectors?

Let’s go through this question by starting by how do AI detectors work.

AI checkers use machine learning models trained on large databases of both human and AI-generated content. These models learn to notice signs of repetition, lack of personal reflection and neutral structures, which are typical of GenAI outputs.

AI detectors are based on two key concept:

  • Perplexity: how predictable a sentence is - AI-generated contents tend to be more predictable
  • Burstiness: how sentences vary - Human writing shows more variation in rhythm and length

Some of the most accurate AI detectors go even further by using Large Language Models (LLMs), like Compilatio Studium and Compilatio Magister+, to read deeper into tone, structure, and cultural nuances. 

In short, AI detectors work by combining pattern recognition and language analysis. 

 

 

What is the difference between plagiarism checkers and AI detectors?

Plagiarism or similarities detection and AI detection are often confused, but they don’t serve the same purpose. Both tools analyze text, but they answer different questions: 

difference between ai and plagiarism for essays

Plagiarism checkers: is this piece of text copied from somewhere?

Their goal is to identify unoriginal content and ensure proper credit is given to protect intellectual honesty.
They compare content with a large database made up of books, articles and websites.

 

difference ai checker and plagiarism detector for essays

AI detectors: is this text written by a human or AI?

Their goal is to spot AI writing traits to know by who or what the text was written.
They analyze GenAI tools' writing patterns.

Both are useful for educators, but they solve different problems!

 

2. Accuracy: reliability of AI detectors

 

Are AI detectors accurate?

 

“AI detectors are not infallible. They can still make mistakes, especially in complex and nuanced situations.” (Bullas, 2024)

 

AI detectors’purpose is to identify if a piece of text was written by a human or generated by AI. But are AI detectors accurate?

To answer this question, it is important to define what accuracy means for AI detectors.

  • Accuracy: how many correct results an AI detector provides when correctly identifying a text as human-written or AI-generated
  • Precision: how often the AI detector is right when flagging text as AI-generated
  • Recall: how well the AI detector finds all AI-generated texts

These indicators help understand the reliability of AI detectors.

ai scanner for essays - false positive negative

However, AI detectors can’t pretend to be 100% accurate as they can make these two types of error:

  • False positives: human-written content flagged as AI-generated
  • False negatives: AI-generated content flagged as human-written

So, how accurate is AI detection?
AI detectors work well, but not perfectly. They provide helpful insights, but shouldn’t be considered as absolute proof.

Which AI detector is the most accurate?

 

“AI detectors are not 100% accurate… Accuracy varies based on the detector and its algorithm.” (Alammyan, 2025)

 

If you are wondering what is the most accurate detector, the answer depends on several factors:

  • AI model used: GPT-2 is easier to detect, but GPT-4 and Gemini are harder to distinguish
  • Detection tool: each tool uses a different algorithm and training data
  • Text length: short texts lead to less reliable results than longer ones
  • Language: some detectors perform best in some languages than others
  • Style: paraphrasing and AI-generated content corrected by humans are harder to flag

A December 2023 study published by the International Journal for Educational Integrity compared the overall accuracy of leading AI detectors. The data showed:

  • Turnitin and OpenAI’s Text Classifier performed well, leading the field
  • Compilatio followed closely, already showing over 70% accuracy at the time

But the market has shifted.

compilatio accuracy for essays

Since 2023, Compilatio has significantly improved its AI detection technology, training its models to better identify language patterns, tone, and multilingual variations.


In 2025, Compilatio’s AI detectors reached a 98.5% accuracy rate!


At Compilatio, we keep pace with evolving AI models to offer one of the most accurate and up-to-date AI detectors available on the market. 

 

3. AI detection: limitations and powers
 

how accurate is ai detection - boundaries

What are the boundaries of AI detectors?
 

AI detectors are not 100% accurate as false positives and negatives can happen. They can struggle with some paraphrased AI text, multilingual writing or short passages.

Plus, GenAI keeps evolving! Newer models are able to mimic human traits like personal reflection, emotion, and nuanced arguments. 

A study conducted to investigate if GPT-4 is equal to human writing for scientific articles shows that “there was no significant difference between GPT-4 and human introductions regarding publishability and content quality(Muacevic, Adler, 2023).

Compilatio’s AI detection tools have included LLMs to evaluate the texts’ tone and linguistic subtleties.
Our objective: evolving with these changes to offer educational actors an up-to-date tool.

So the results provided by AI detection tools should be interpreted carefully, especially in academic settings where fairness matters.

how accurate is ai detection - strenghts

What are the strengths of AI detectors?
 

Even with boundaries, AI detectors offer real value in education: 

  • Helpful indicators: provide clues about the origin of text, even if they are probabilities
  • Encourage open discussions: open up conversations between teachers and students about ethical use of AI
  • Support fairness: help maintaining equity among students
  • Save time: help educators having faster insights into writing patterns to free up time to give feedback and support to students
  • Adapt to evolving challenges: AI detectors evolve with AI to stay reliable

 

4. Compilatio: AI detection for education

 

Are Compilatio’s AI detectors reliable?
 

Compilatio’s AI detection tools like Compilatio Studium for students or Compilatio Magister+ for professors are developed to support academic integrity. They are continuously improving to reflect the latest AI updates.

In 2023, our AI detectors achieved an accuracy of over 70%, making it one of the most reliable tools on the market.

But in December 2024, our AI detection system reached a 99% accuracy rate  measured on a robust sample of 7,000 texts in 24 languages. This includes over 3,000 human-written passages and the same number of AI-generated content. That means that out of 100 varied texts, 99 were correctly labeled as either human or AI-written.

This result shows that how accurate AI detectors are depends not just on the algorithm, but on the effort invested in training and updates. Compilatio continues to evolve its technology to match the complexity of modern generative AI, and be a reliable tool you can count on.

 

do compilatio's ai detectors evolve with ai

Are Compilatio’s AI detectors keeping up with evolving AI?
 

Yes! Our AI detection tools are continuously improving to adapt to advances in AI models.

First, LLMs are used to analyze not only structures, but tones, context, and cultural cues. An appropriate update knowing that models like GPT-4, Gemini or Claude are able to generate content that can be viewed as human-like with feelings and nuances. 

From 2023 to 2024, Compilatio’s AI detectors have increased their reliability by more than 20%. Plus, to deck out the multilingual subtleties, our tools are trained on 7,000 content in several languages to reflect global and diverse use of AI in education.

We're not just keeping up with new AI, but building tools that grow with them.

5. Future of AI detection: alongside AI
 

ai detectors evolving with ai

Are Compilatio’s AI detectors keeping up with evolving AI?
 

As AI models evolve, AI detectors must adapt accordingly. The future of AI detection is to work alongside technological progress.

As we are seeing with GPT-4 or Gemini, the next generation of AI detectors will need to handle increasingly human-like AI writing, including emotional tone, argumentation and personal reflection. Of course, these elements will challenge detection systems, making it even crucial to keep refining AI detection technology.

are compilatio's ai scanners evolving with ai

Compilatio’s AI detectors are already designed to keep pace with the latest AI development. Thanks to our team’s expertise in natural language processing (NLP), our tools harness Large Language Models (LLMs) to dig deeper into tone, structure, and cultural context.


AI detectors are not absolute proof of the use of AI in a piece of text.
Rather, they are probabilistic tools that evolve with the technology they aim to detect. They provide valuable insights, but in the end, the final judgment should always rest with educators and students.

How is education shifting its view on AI detection?
 

With the rise of GenAI tools, universities and colleges have been divided on how to approach this new technology.

Some prestigious institutions like Science Po Paris banned students from using ChatGPT, except for educational purposes under teacher supervision. This bold move sparked a broader conversation within the education system about the role of AI tools in universities.

Initially, many saw AI detectors as a way to punish students for using technology they’ve grown up with. But this may not be the right approach.

A 2025 article by University World News’s 2025 raised interrogations: “What are we really trying to preserve? And why do we assume that the values we cherish – curiosity, rigour, creativity – cannot coexist with intelligent systems?

Ultimately, the purpose of AI detection in education is not punitive, but pedagogical. Both educators and students have a role in using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini ethically and responsibly.

AI is part of education, and AI detectors should empower educators and students to navigate this evolving landscape with integrity.

FAQ


How accurate are AI writing detectors?

AI writing detectors are fairly accurate but not perfect. Their accuracy depends on factors such as the type of AI used, the length of the text, and the data they were trained on. They work best when combined with human judgment.

Can AI detectors be wrong?

Yes, AI detectors can make mistakes as false positives and negatives. They sometimes flag human writing as AI or miss AI-generated content.

Are AI image detectors reliable?

AI image detectors are becoming more reliable. They can often spot manipulated or AI-generated images with high accuracy.

Are AI detectors accurate? Not at 100%, as they offer probabilities, not certainties. The accuracy of AI detectors depends on many factors like the model used or the type of content analyzed. 

However, AI detectors are improving over time. Compilatio’s AI detection accuracy has risen from 70% in 2023 to 99% in 2024.

AI detection is constantly advancing. It is crucial to remember that while AI checkers offer valuable insights, they are not infallible. Their use should be supervised by universities and colleges, with the final judgement always being taken by humans.

Ultimately, the goal is to guide both students and professors on an ethical journey using powerful tools responsibly.

 


 

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Note: This informative article, which does not require personal reflection, was partially written and translated with the assistance of ChatGPT. The automatically generated content has been revised (including corrections for repetition, sentence structure, added details, added citations, and fact-checking.