Technical writing assistant tools like Grammarly, are popular among some students. Many utilize these apps to correct mistakes in their writing process. However, Marley Stevens, a student at the University of North Georgia (UNG), was in for a stressful semester after her Grammarly-edited paper was marked for plagiarism, leading to her being placed on conduct probation. 

In Oct. 2023, Stevens submitted a paper for her Criminal Justice course, having written it on Google Docs with Grammarly editing her work through a web browser extension. Upon examination through the app Turnitin, her entire paper was flagged for plagiarism due to the use of AI assistance.

Stevens took to TikTok to share her predicament and caution other students about the risk of being accused of plagiarism when using Grammarly. “If you have a paper, essay, discussion post, anything that’s getting submitted to Turnitin, uninstall Grammarly from your web browser, right now,” she warned.

Despite Stevens’ insistence that her paper was self-written, her professor persisted in suspicion, even resorting to checking the paper using another AI app. Combined with a syllabus message cautioning against AI use, the professor maintained his belief in academic dishonesty. However, when Stevens ran the paper through the same application herself, it was classified as human-written. 

Such discrepancies in artificial intelligence accuracy pose risks for students, professors, and universities, creating confusion about plagiarism. It is frustrating for students to be approved and even encouraged to use apps such as Grammarly to aid them in their writing processes when these same apps can result in being wrongfully charged. 

Stevens found no security from the dean and department head, as they could not help in clearing her name. Instead, she received an email from UNG’s Office of Student Integrity detailing her report and sharing options to contest or accept probation. Despite her determination to clear her name, Stevens lost her case on Feb. 16.

In the past three months, Stevens has used her platform on TikTok to share her perspective with her initial video on the incident receiving over 5 million views and drawing attention from Grammarly. The company reached out to Stevens to discuss her situation and offered insights into why her paper may have triggered a report, which she planned to present at her appeal hearing. 

Additionally, Stevens highlighted other arguments for her innocence, including previously available information on the UNG website endorsing Grammarly and evidence suggesting Turnitin’s occasional inaccuracies in originality reports.

The use of Grammarly for proofreading and editing is widespread among students, with some educators nationwide advocating its use as schools become more technologically advanced. However, clear communication between students and faculty regarding what is considered academically dishonorable assistance is imperative. 

The rising popularity of artificial intelligence apps, such as ChatGPT, raises additional concerns about academic integrity. 

Megdela Witanbese, a sophomore computer science major at Howard University, acknowledges the potential benefits of AI in education but emphasizes the importance of responsible usage. 

“If it’s used properly it can help people with their writing but at the rate that it’s going with it being volatile, it kind of leaves room for question,” she observed. 

Stevens’ situation prompts discussions about the role of artificial intelligence in education. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft, use artificial intelligence for business growth, prompting more people to advocate for young people’s familiarity with this resource.

Howard University sophomore Chase Capers, a regular user of AI, believes in its potential benefits. 

“I think [Grammarly] can be a huge help to students. Grammarly just points out your mistakes, so if anything you’re able to learn from those mistakes and take those new lessons into your next paper, expository, whatever you’re writing,” he said.

As AI and technology advance, the accuracy of apps like Turnitin becomes crucial in distinguishing between academic misconduct and genuine mistakes. Witanbese suggests closer collaboration with students to clarify writing expectations as a potential solution. 

“I feel like having more active writing processes in class would probably deter students from doing that,” she noted. “Not necessarily holding their hands. I understand we’re adults in college, but sending students off on their own and telling them, ‘Here’s your subject, write about this,’ is probably counterproductive to the goal.” 

This solution could build student confidence in writing, allowing them to not rely heavily on AI. However, until issues regarding examination apps are resolved, students may need to prepare for potential appeals regarding self-written work.