How to check if a text was written by AI

1. Decide what you need to verify

For a client article, start with the brief: does it require disclosure of AI assistance, original reporting or specific sources? For a student assignment, consult the applicable policy. A detection report cannot decide whether the work meets those requirements.

Separate three questions: is the information accurate, is borrowed material attributed, and was assistance disclosed where required? Repetitive wording or polished grammar alone cannot answer any of them.

2. Keep a copy and choose a coherent passage

Save the original before editing. Select a complete paragraph or section rather than combining unrelated sentences. Note the language, date and boundaries of the extract so a later result can be compared with the same input.

Only submit text you are authorized to share. Check AI sends submitted text to external processing services. Check the privacy information and the word limit shown in the editor before running an analysis.

3. Read the report as a signal

Open the AI detector, paste the passage and review the returned estimate and any available highlights. Read what the score represents: it is not automatically the percentage of words written by AI, and it cannot identify ChatGPT with certainty.

A high result calls for further review; a low result does not certify human authorship. Do not keep editing and rerunning the text merely to reach a preferred percentage. That changes the input without establishing its origin.

4. Turn uncertainty into a concrete review

Illustrative example: a client article says that a method cuts processing time by 40%, but gives no source. A detector also flags the introduction. Ask for the evidence behind the number and compare it with the claim. The missing source is actionable regardless of the AI result.

If the author supplies a study, verify its population, conditions and date. If there is no supporting evidence, revise or remove the claim. When assistance disclosure matters, discuss the writing process and available drafts without treating a score as an accusation.

5. Record what you verified

• Keep the submitted version and the report together.
• List facts and references you checked independently.
• Distinguish confirmed issues from unanswered questions.
• Use plagiarism checking for source overlap, not for proof of AI use.