I’ve been testing ChatGPT for originality and plagiarism.
Is ChatGPT plagiarism?
No, ChatGPT is not plagiarism. ChatGPT uses its vast data storage and machine-learning algorithms to produce original content. Plagiarism checkers regularly show ChatGPT content as 100% original and plagiarism free. When there is any plagiarism, the plagiarism score is 5% or lower.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about ChatGPT and plagiarism.
Is ChatGPT Plagiarism? (No, Here Is The Reason Why)
The short answer is no – ChatGPT is not plagiarism.
The use of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, or AI-NLPs, has been deeply embedded in our culture since the early 2000s, becoming a staple in the tech and business world. Many people still suspect it of playing fast and loose with existing content.
The reason why ChatGPT is not plagiarism lies in the nature of how this technology works.
Unlike traditional methods of writing where an author creates content out of their own imagination and intellectual property, ChatGPT relies on algorithms and neural networks to source an idea from existing text inputs by a user.
In other words, ChatGPT simply organizes the information already given to it (like human learning) instead of creating something from nothing.
This process ensures that each output (assembled and activated learning) is unique.
Based on a previously existing thought or topic – but not copied from another source.
Other AI writer tools are similarly creative and non-plagiarizing due to the same underlying principles found in chatbot technology designed by major companies like Google and Amazon.
Namely, these programs analyze data sets and then reorganize that information into new material based on prompts given by users.
By using this method of composition, ChatGPT and others avoid stealing intellectual property or replicating someone else’s work word-for-word.
Here is a video made by an attorney that dives into the topic, “Is ChatGPT Plagiarism?”:
ChatGPT and Plagiarism: My Tests and Results
To put ChatGPT to the test, I recently wrote an entire blog post using nothing but ChatGPT.
Then, I ran that content through my go-to plagiarism checker (EasyBib/Chegg).
In case you’re interested, the blog post is titled, “What Do You Call a Deer With No Eyes? (Joke Explained).” Feel free to Google it.
Here are the results:
As you can see, my article received a 0% score for plagiarism.
That means it is 100% original.
To be sure, I ran the content through Copyscape. While Copyscape did show three “results” they were all verbatim mentions of the joke my article was about.
In other words, it’s kind of impossible not to write the joke that is the topic of your article.
I’ve never had any issues with this type of “repeated” content.
Is ChatGPT Ever Plagiarism?
In my experience, ChatGPT (and other ai chatbots) rarely produce content that is picked up as plagiarism.
So, yes, you might get flagged for 5% or less plagiarism with some checkers.
For comparison, I sometimes get 10% or more by accident when I write a blog post, essay, or marketing content myself. It just happens sometimes. You catch it and then you fix it by deleting or rewriting the flagged content.
Ultimately, I wouldn’t worry about plagiarism with ChatGPT.
But, I still think it’s always a good idea to run all content (even your own) through a plagiarism check just in case.
What Are The Tools Available To Detect Plagiarized Text From ChatGPT?
There are many tools available to help detect plagiarized content from ChatGTP (and other AI tools).
A few of these tools include:
- EasyBib (Chegg). I use this plagiarism checker for all of my content to make sure I don’t accidentally plagiarize someone.
- Turnitin. Turnitin offers solutions to ensure originality in writing and claims it can detect any writing done by tools like ChatGPT with its advanced technology.
- GPTZero. This model scans through any text (250 words minimum) and produces an AI likelihood score. The creator of the software claims a 98% accuracy rate but there may still be room for improvement here, as the model is still new.
- CopyLeaks. You can try this AI detector for free on their website. Just paste in the content you want to check and it will give you a score.
OpenAI has announced plans to protect against the misuse of AI-generated text by developing a “watermark” that can identify when a text has been generated by artificial intelligence.
In addition, OpenAI has created an AI text classifier to detect and identify any texts that have been created using AI.
This will help to ensure that people do not exploit AI-generated texts for malicious purposes.
What To Do If a Plagiarism Checker Says That ChatGPT Content Includes Plagiarism?
It can be disheartening to find out that your content has been flagged as plagiarised.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet!
You can easily fix it and reduce your plagiarism score to zero if you know what steps to take.
Here are some tips on how to go about solving this problem:
Double-Check Your Content
First of all, run your content through a few plagiarism checkers to see where the source(s) of the plagiarised content is/are.
Once you identify which material has been copied, double-check it against its original author’s website or blog. If necessary, consider running an image search using Google reverse image search for any images included with the text that may have been plagiarized.
Sometimes I find that I accidentally included a quote in the content (I usually remove those before submitting to plagiarism checkers).
Make Any Changes Needed
Once you’ve identified the source material and double-checked it, rewrite any sections of your ChatGPT content which have been flagged as plagiarised.
You want all of your content to be original and unique.
For text, use synonyms or rewording techniques. You can also use ChatGBT to rewrite the section using new words. For graphics and other visuals, you can either create new works from scratch or obtain permission from the copyright holder to use them legally.
Proofread And Recheck
Before submitting your content for review again, make sure you proofread it carefully for accuracy and clarity.
Additionally, recheck it with a different plagiarism-checking tool one more time to make sure there is not any unexpected similarity between your work and any other written work on the internet.
If everything looks alright, then proceed with publishing your content.
How To Write Plagiarism Free With ChatGPT
Here are some tips to write plagiarism free with ai tools such as ChatGPT:
- Make sure to regularly check the content generated by ai tools like ChatGPT for signs of plagiarism.
- When in doubt, always double-check a piece of content with online plagiarism detection tools.
- Cite all sources that are used for generating content with an ai tool like ChatGPT.
- Always create original titles and avoid copying other titles from existing sources or websites.
- Avoid excessively paraphrasing existing material – use the source materials to create new original ideas
- Take advantage of advanced features such as grammar correction when writing with ai tools like ChatGPT
- Avoid overusing cliches or phrases commonly found on the internet
- Manually break grammar rules in every section of your content
- Add your personality to the prompts and content
- Feed ChatGPT original data, facts, and information
Final Thoughts: Is ChatGPT Plagiarism?
For those who don’t have time to write lengthy articles or craft engaging blog posts themselves yet still want high-quality content quickly generated, using AI writers like ChatGPT can be incredibly helpful.
Just ensure that you stay within legal parameters with your use case scenarios, that is.
As Marvel is fond of saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
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