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Bypassing Plagiarism Checks with AI Paraphrasing Tools

Table of Contents

Introduction to AI Paraphrasing Tools

Artificially intelligent paraphrasing tools have grown in popularity for their ability to rewrite and rephrase text while avoiding plagiarism detection. However, the ethical implications around using these tools, especially for academic work, warrants discussion.

In this blog post, we will provide an overview of AI paraphrasing technology, discuss what plagiarism detection AI is, review some of the top paraphrasing tools on the market today, test them out on an academic essay, compare their performance across key metrics, offer recommendations for choosing a tool, and share some final thoughts around using this technology responsibly.

What is Plagiarism Detection AI?

Plagiarism detection artificial intelligence analyzes student submissions like essays to determine if parts have been copied from other sources without proper attribution. By comparing the writing patterns, phrasing uniqueness, and context of references against a large database of existing works, plagiarism detection AI can reliably flag suspected cases of academic dishonesty. Schools and universities utilize this technology through services like Turnitin to uphold academic integrity policies and ensure students are doing original work.

Ethical Use of Paraphrasing Tools

While paraphrasing tools themselves are not illegal to use, employing them to intentionally bypass plagiarism detection in an academic context crosses ethical boundaries. Proper attribution and adherence to academic honesty standards should still be followed when using these AI writing assistants. That said, these tools have many legitimate and ethical applications as well. Responsible use cases include summarizing research to improve comprehension, rewriting for better clarity and readability, improving vocabulary variation, and assisting English language learners.

Testing Popular Paraphrasing Tools

To better understand the landscape of AI paraphrasing technology, we tested some of the most popular tools on the market today. We generated rewritten versions of a 1500 word academic essay on climate change through ChatGPT, QuillBot, SpinBot, Undetectable.ai, Rewrite Genius, and AI Playground.

For consistency, we used the same original essay across all tools, ran only a single rewrite, and analyzed the output based on two key metrics - plagiarism score according to Turnitin AI and readability grade level via the Hemingway app.

ChatGPT Prompt

We began by creating a custom prompt for ChatGPT focused specifically on paraphrasing while avoiding plagiarism detection. This included instructions to use more human-like language patterns. The resulting output scored a 13% AI similarity on Turnitin. Readability was surprisingly strong with a grade level of 5 according to Hemingway.

QuillBot

QuillBot is one of the leading dedicated paraphrasing tools. Using the advanced Creative mode set to maximize synonyms, QuillBot generated a rewritten version of our essay that fully avoided plagiarism detection with a 0% AI score on Turnitin. However, readability suffered substantially, with the grade level jumping up to 14.

SpinBot

As a simple paraphrasing tool focused only on word substitutions, SpinBot unsurprisingly produced an essay that avoided plagiarism flags. It earned a 0% score from Turnitin AI. Unfortunately, readability was almost post-graduate according to Hemingway at grade level 16.

Undetectable.ai

Undetectable.ai generated two versions of the rewritten essay using slightly different settings focused on either more human-like language or improved readability. The first scored a 13% on Turnitin and was graded as post-graduate level writing. The second fully avoided plagiarism detection at 0% similarity, but remained at a post-grad reading level. This demonstrates the balance between avoiding AI flags and maintaining strong readability that paraphrasing tools attempt to strike.

Stealth Writer

We attempted to test the Stealth Writer paraphrasing tool as well but found the free version limited us to only 125 words, making an academic essay rewrite impossible. As such, we were unable to evaluate it in this review.

Rewrite Genius

Rewrite Genius offers a specific option to bypass plagiarism detection when paraphrasing text. Using this setting generated an essay that scored 13% on Turnitin but achieved decent readability at grade level 12 according to Hemingway.

AI Playground

As an AI writing assistant that's fully customizable, AI Playground allows fine tuning of parameters like temperature and frequency penalty to influence output characteristics. After some trial and error, we landed on settings that avoided plagiarism detection completely with a 0% score from Turnitin. However, readability was still labeled as Poor at grade level 16 by Hemingway.

Comparing Paraphrasing Tool Performance

Plagiarism Score

When it came to avoiding plagiarism detection, QuillBot, SpinBot, the second Undetectable.ai test, AI Playground, and even our custom ChatGPT prompt all generated rewritten versions of our academic essay that passed Turnitin's AI analysis with 0% similarity. Meanwhile, the first Undetectable.ai output and Rewrite Genius allowed through more copied content at 13% similarity. So across the board, all tools succeeded in paraphrasing the essay to bypass plagiarism detection to some degree.

Readability Score

On the other hand, readability suffered substantially from the paraphrasing, with most tools scoring the rewritten essay at or exceeding post-graduate reading levels around grade 14-16. The exception was our custom ChatGPT prompt, which achieved strong grade 5 level readability but allowed higher 13% plagiarism. This inverse relationship illustrates the ongoing challenge of balancing rewrite quality with plagiarism avoidance that AI paraphrasing tools still grapple with today.

Choosing the Best Paraphrasing Tool

When selecting an AI paraphrasing tool, consider your specific use case and priorities around plagiarism avoidance versus strong readability.

For academic essay rewriting, Balance is key - avoid tools like SpinBot that go overboard on synonym swapping at the cost of coherence. Meanwhile, customizable assistants like ChatGPT offer more control but require expertise.

Ethical usage also remains paramount. While these tools may technologically permit plagiarism, upholding academic honesty requires proper citation regardless.

Conclusion and Recommendations

In closing, AI paraphrasing technology continues advancing rapidly to reward increasingly sophisticated plagiarism detection systems. However, readability and responsible usage remain sticking points requiring further improvement.

We recommend these tools be used not as shortcuts for cheating, but rather assistants that enhance writing when applied judiciously. With ethical usage, paraphrasing AI can become a force that expands access to quality education.

FAQ

Q: What is the purpose of paraphrasing tools?
A: Paraphrasing tools aim to rewrite content using synonyms and rephrasing while retaining the original meaning to avoid plagiarism accusations when reusing existing content.

Q: Are paraphrasing tools considered cheating?
A: Using paraphrasing tools simply to bypass plagiarism checks without properly citing sources is considered academic dishonesty. However, these tools have legitimate uses as well, like improving writing style.

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