A college student created an app that can tell if someone cheated on their paper using AI
“There are beautiful qualities of human written prose that computers can and should never co-opt.”
GPTZero can detect whether a piece of text was written by a bot or a human.
Type the words “college student” and “ChatGPT” into Google and you’ll probably find multiple horror stories of robot-written book reports and the inevitable downfall of academia.
However, one college student has built a tool specifically designed to sniff out text written by AI, giving teachers a small sense of relief.
Edward Tian, a 22-year-old senior at Princeton University, spent his winter break diligently working on GPTZero—an app that (perhaps ironically) incorporates the same technologies used in ChatGPT to “quickly and efficiently” detect AI in any block of text. The fact that Tian is studying computer science and journalism seems oh-so fitting.
The process behind GPTZero is fairly simple. Users can copy and paste a piece of text into the app and it will scan the text to provide a score based on two basic metrics—perplexity and burstiness.
Perplexity is the spontaneity or complexity of a single sentence. AI tends to churn out straightforward, though generic sentences, whereas humans don't. Even the most succinct among us can meander a bit, lose the plot, ramble … you get it.
Similarly, AI wouldn’t really have a series of sentences that vary widely in length, with long run-on sentences followed by a very short one. Like this one. We call this overall randomness burstiness. And so far, burstiness isn’t really AI’s chosen writing style.
The lower the scores on perplexity and burstiness, the more likely the text was written by a bot, which Tian demonstrated in a video using a report from The New Yorker (human, John McPhee to be precise) and a LinkedIn post (ChatGPT).
here's a quick demo with john mcphee's "frame of reference" pic.twitter.com/WphxfxxFdr
— Edward Tian (@edward_the6) January 3, 2023
“There are beautiful qualities of human written prose that computers can and should never co-opt,” Tian explained in an interview with Daily Beast.
Tian released GPTZero on Jan. 2, expecting only “a few dozen people” to try it. He woke up to discover that it became an instant hit, primarily among teachers, with positive reviews. According to NPR, more than 30,000 people had tried out GPTZero within a week, causing the app to temporarily crash.
I spent New Years building GPTZero — an app that can quickly and efficiently detect whether an essay is ChatGPT or human written
— Edward Tian (@edward_the6) January 3, 2023
Since its launch in late November 2022, the AI chatbot tool ChatGPT has been used to write short poems, formal emails, film scripts and even high school and college papers—the latter of which has caused concern among educators who fear the program will make cheating and plagiarism easier than ever.
Other measures have been initiated to regulate AI usage. Chalkbeat reports that the New York Education Department blocked access to ChatGPT. And OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab, is working to implement watermarks that would verify whether or not something was generated by ChatGPT.
However, the virtual, uncharted terrain of artificial intelligence is essentially still a lawless no man’s land. So while Tian doesn’t find artificial intelligence as inherently a bad thing, he hopes that his app, while still not foolproof, might add some much-needed clarity and transparency.
"For so long, AI has been a black box where we really don't know what's going on inside," he said, according to NPR. "And with GPTZero, I wanted to start pushing back and fighting against that. [GPTZero] is not meant to be a tool to stop these technologies from being used. But with any new technologies, we need to be able to adopt it responsibly and we need to have safeguards."
- Woman developing AI that detects dick pics to make Twitter a safer place ›
- This AI chatbot named Oli is helping first-generation college students navigate the enrollment process ›
- AI technology helps render portraits from the Victorian era that are 'moving' in every way ›
- Artist uses AI to create ultra realistic portraits of celebrities who left us too soon ›
- People are making money by pretending to be AI on TikTok - Upworthy ›
Our mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by 
You can eat well without giving up sweets completely.Photo by 
12 non-threatening leadership strategies for women
We mustn't hurt a man's feelings.
Men and the feels.
Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.
In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent.
One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.
Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?
IS IT?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.
Encourage.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.
Sharing ideas.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud," "throwing something out there," or sharing something "dumb," "random," or "crazy."
Email requests.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.
Idea sharing.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.
Sexism.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.
Mansplain.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, "I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.
Mistakes.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.
Promotions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.
Rude.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.
Interruptions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.
Collaboration.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.
Disagreements.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!
In conclusion...
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.
About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, is out now.
The comedic book cover.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.
This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.