Is using AI the same as plagiarism?

What is plagiarism?

Stemming from the Latin word plagiarius, which means “kidnapping,” plagiarism became a metaphor during the Roman Empire for “kidnapping” one’s words from another. It is a form of literary theft, where one person’s ideas are directly copied and passed off as someone’s own. It is often considered a violation of integrity and ethics and is frowned upon in nearly every field, especially academia.

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Plagiarism can lead to serious consequences: for example, journalists at publications around the world have lost their jobs after being caught plagiarizing. This is because the act of plagiarism leads to serious issues of credibility, damaging the reputations of both the journalists in question as well as their publications. In education, students who are caught plagiarizing can fail their assignments, exams, or classes, as well as face suspension and other academic deterrents. Financial consequences can also stem from accusations of copyright infringement.

While plagiarism isn’t always done maliciously—for example, when describing a simple idea or concept, one can inadvertently use a similar language as another writer—it can still lead to the same consequences. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid plagiarism: by using tools that can detect if one text is similar enough to existing sources, students can know where to focus on rewriting, and teachers can alert students to instances of plagiarism.

How AI relates to plagiarism

Since AI draws and paraphrases from many different sources, it can be tricky to determine how much of it is plagiarized from a specific source.
AI-generated content draws from existing, real-world sources. The algorithms that form the foundation of AI tools analyze existing content from across the internet, whether they stem from academic and scientific journals to blog posts—or even previously generated AI content.

The goal of AI tools is to generate content that is seemingly natural-sounding and written by humans. However, their credibility can waver depending on the subject, the sources from which they draw, and the ever-evolving capabilities of their algorithm. In addition, AI writing can feel clunky, with outdated or awkward phrasing that can draw unwanted attention to itself. Creating one’s own text allows writers to develop their own voice, as well as add depth and create interest in their own work.

AI detectors can parse text of any length to see what parts match the patterns having been generated by AI. Just like plagiarism detection tools, this can undermine your work.

How to use AI to avoid plagiarism

Ultimately, using AI to generate content and passing it off as your own is plagiarism. Since it is not your own original work, it falls squarely into that category: using any AI software to generate a final product will lead to the same academic misconduct as plagiarism.

Instead, AI is best thought of as a writing assistant, rather than a generator. Use AI to brainstorm ideas and create inspiration for what you should research and ask it to cite sources that you can reference in your own work. Learn how to cite your research and use tools like ChatGPT for source citation. By analyzing and rewriting any AI-generated content, you can understand your subject from top to bottom—all while reinterpreting your newfound knowledge in your own voice and personality.

This is how AI can empower students to develop and foster their own critical thinking skills. Learn how to write a research paper or make a persuasive argument, find credible sources, or harness the power of AI to create better content.