Can SafeAssign Detect AI-Generated Content?

AI writing tools are now very common. Many students and teachers are using them every day. One big question is: Can SafeAssign detect AI-generated content like ChatGPT? The answer is not simple. This article explains what SafeAssign is, how it works, and if it can detect text written by AI.

What Is SafeAssign?

SafeAssign is a tool inside Blackboard. Blackboard is a system many schools use to give assignments and check student work. SafeAssign checks if a student copied text from somewhere else. It compares the student’s file with:

Other students’ work
Websites
Academic papers
Journal articles
A big global database

It shows a report with a percentage. That tells how much of the text matches other sources.

How SafeAssign Checks for Plagiarism

When someone uploads their work, SafeAssign scans it. It tries to find parts that match its database. The report shows:

0–15% match: Usually okay. May have quotes or common phrases.
15–40% match: Might have too much copying or bad paraphrasing.
Above 40%: High risk of plagiarism.

Teachers then review the report. They decide if the match is fine or if it is plagiarism.

Does SafeAssign Detect AI Writing?

No, SafeAssign does not detect AI text.

SafeAssign is not made to catch AI-generated writing. It only looks for exact matches in its database. But AI tools like ChatGPT do not copy. They write new text. That makes SafeAssign weak at catching AI writing.

Why AI Text Is Hard To Detect

ChatGPT and others create original text.
They do not copy from the internet.
They generate words using patterns.
There is nothing to match in a database.

So even if SafeAssign checks the writing, it won’t find anything unless two students ask AI the same thing and get nearly identical results.

Can SafeAssign Catch Similar AI Text?

Sometimes yes. If two students use the same prompt in ChatGPT, the output might be similar. In that case, SafeAssign might show a high match. But this is not common. Most AI text will look different each time.

This makes SafeAssign unreliable for detecting AI content.

What SafeAssign Does Well

Even though it cannot catch AI, SafeAssign is still useful. It helps students:

Learn how to cite sources
Avoid copying by mistake
Check their work before submitting

Teachers can also use SafeAssign to:

Find direct copying
Teach about academic honesty
Encourage better writing habits

Problems With SafeAssign

There are some big problems with SafeAssign in 2025:

No AI detection
It cannot tell if a human or a machine wrote the text.
No context checking
It looks at text only. It does not understand meaning.
Static algorithm
AI models change fast. SafeAssign does not keep up.
Only finds copied text
It does not detect new content, even if made by AI.

So if someone uses ChatGPT and gets a totally new response, SafeAssign will show 0% plagiarism. But the work may still be 100% AI-generated.

Can SafeAssign Be Improved?

Yes. Experts say SafeAssign must evolve. Here are some ways it can improve:

Add AI detection tools inside Blackboard
Work with AI companies to find new patterns
Let teachers know when AI is used
Train students about ethical AI use

Many new tools already detect AI text. SafeAssign can learn from them.

Tools That Detect AI Better Than SafeAssign

If you need to detect AI writing, use tools made for that job. These include:

🔹 Originality.AI

Detects both plagiarism and AI
Can find text written by ChatGPT, Bard, Claude, and more
Gives clear scores and reports

🔹 GPTZero

Checks if writing is by AI
Looks at writing style and patterns
Used by teachers and content creators

🔹 Undetectable AI

Changes AI text to sound more human
Useful for students who want to use AI responsibly

🔹 Turnitin (New AI Features)

Turnitin now has AI detection
It shows teachers what part of the work may be AI-written

Why AI Detection Matters

AI is changing how students write. Many use tools like ChatGPT to:

Brainstorm
Rewrite
Generate entire papers

If schools ignore this, it can lead to:

Poor learning
Unfair grading
Lost trust in education

Tools like SafeAssign must be updated to deal with this new problem.

What Schools Can Do

Teach about AI use
Schools should explain how to use AI correctly.
Update rules
Add AI policies in every course.
Use multiple tools
Combine SafeAssign with AI detectors.
Allow draft checks
Let students see SafeAssign results before final submission.
Train teachers
Show them how to spot AI text by style and tone.

Final Thoughts

SafeAssign is still good for finding copied text. But it does not detect AI writing. This is a big problem now that AI is everywhere.

If you are a teacher, don’t depend on SafeAssign alone. Use other tools like Originality.AI or GPTZero. And if you are a student, be honest. Use AI tools for help, not to cheat.

Quick Summary

Feature	SafeAssign	AI Detection Tools
Checks plagiarism	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Checks AI content	❌ No	✅ Yes
Part of Blackboard	✅ Yes	❌ No (most are separate)
Free to use (with Blackboard)	✅ Yes	❌ Some are paid
Can catch paraphrasing	⚠️ Sometimes	✅ Yes (better accuracy)
Learns from new AI trends	❌ No	✅ Yes

FAQs

Can SafeAssign Detect AI-Generated Content?

No. SafeAssign cannot detect AI-generated content like ChatGPT. It checks for plagiarism by comparing submitted text with a database, not analyzing how the text was created.

Can SafeAssign catch ChatGPT?
No. ChatGPT creates new text. SafeAssign cannot match it to any database.

Will SafeAssign be updated for AI?
Not yet. It may improve in the future, but right now it has no AI detection.

Can two students using ChatGPT be caught?
Only if their answers are almost the same. Even then, it’s not guaranteed.

What should students do?
Use AI tools responsibly. Do your own writing. Use AI for ideas, not answers.

What should teachers do?
Use extra tools. Teach about AI. Check writing tone and structure.