When Chat-GPT gained mass popularity in 2022, besides people concerned about the potential of AI replacing jobs, others were eager to take full advantage of the technology.
Students were a popular group to jump on board with the artificial tool to help them write their essays - or even having AI chatbots write their entire essays from scratch.
However, institutional tools that were once used to prioritise clamping down on plagiarism are now adapting to detect AI-generated content.
Institutional board members are on the lookout for 'repetitive phrases, an out-of-character use of words, a uniformly monotonous flow', as well as being 'more verbose' than what's usually seen in human conversation.
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A report from Forbes collected responses from over 20 educational institutions, including the prestigious Harvard and Princeton, about how AI is being spotted in application submissions.
Without even using AI detection tools, experts have pointed out a list of common phrases that scream AI.
These include phrases like 'leadership prowess', 'stems from a deep-seated passion', or 'aligns seamlessly with my aspirations.'
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Using a lot of flowery language like 'commitment to continuous improvement and innovation' is also a clear indicator of AI models being used.
'If you have enough text, a really easy cue is the word 'the' occurs too many times,' Google Brain scientist Daphne Ippolito said.
Although typos are a direct sign of human-written content, it takes 'good practice' to be able to write grammatically flawless, Ippolito added.
The institutions pointed out that a red flag of AI usage is when the text of the applications is 'thin, hollow and flat,' having no overall sustenance or point. Additionally, there's a lack of 'human vibes' and any kind of 'spontaneity' within the flow of sentences.
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More specifically, one expert reported that the word 'tapestry' has become a dead giveaway of AI implementation.
'I no longer believe there's a way to innocently use the word 'tapestry' in an essay; if the word 'tapestry' appears, it was generated by ChatGPT,' they explained.
This is unfortunate for those in rare cases who use the word with good intentions as they could still face rejection by the admission board for suspected plagiarism.
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Whilst the introduction of AI chatbots from OpenAI and Google can aid the writing process, especially for mundane tasks like replying to emails, experts say when it comes to important tasks like university applications, it's best to steer clear of AI.