Turnitin’s Role in Shaping Integrity
For more than 25 years, Turnitin has been a trusted ally in the classroom and lecture halls, helping educators protect academic integrity and promote authentic learning. What began at the University of California as a simple peer-review tool has evolved into a global ed-tech provider with a suite of solutions used across thousands of institutions.
James Thorley, Turnitin’s Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, says the mission has always been clear. “Turnitin was founded over 25 years ago to support learning by helping educators drive academic integrity and encourage original thinking among students, Turnitin began at the University of California with a peer-review application that helped students receive feedback from their classmates. Now, our portfolio includes a variety of dedicated ed-tech-specific products that support original thinking, including Feedback Studio, Paper to Digital, ExamSoft, and Ithenticate.”
These platforms work together to help educators maintain the authenticity of student work, while also providing opportunities for constructive feedback and improved learning outcomes. “Our capabilities are backed and checked against a vast database of content, and we regularly enhance feature sets to support evolving pedagogical practices and adapt to the needs of the education community,” Thorley explains. In terms of accuracy, Turnitin’s AI writing detection capabilities maintain a false positive score of less than one per cent, a figure the company continues to refine as large language models evolve.
Responding to AI in Education
The emergence of generative AI has brought about one of the most significant shifts in education in recent decades. Students now have unprecedented access to tools that can both help and potentially hinder the learning process.
“Since its inception, Turnitin has been about fostering academic integrity, and that hasn’t changed,” Thorley says. “What has changed is the educational landscape. The proliferation of AI tools means AI is firmly woven into how students work, regardless of whether institutions officially endorse it. Instead of pretending it isn’t happening, we’ve chosen to address it directly by putting guardrails, transparency, and education value at the centre.”
One way Turnitin is addressing this shift is through Turnitin Clarity, a new platform designed specifically for today’s classrooms. “Turnitin Clarity serves as a bridge between educators and students, delivering transparency, efficiency, and meaningful feedback in writing assessment, especially in today’s AI-powered learning environment. This gives students the confidence to demonstrate that their submissions are original and representative of their learning,” Thorley explains.
Maintaining Fitness
With these advances, many educators may wonder whether AI detection could unfairly disadvantage legitimate student work. For Thorley, the key lies in balance and human oversight.
“Our AI writing indicator is intended to act as a data point educators can consider alongside their own expertise when evaluating student work. It’s not designed to be the sole factor in determining whether a student has used generative AI. Instead, it provides a starting point for conversations that help uncover the student’s own critical thinking process.”
He stresses that Turnitin’s role is supportive, not definitive. “Our tools are meant to serve as resources, not final decision-makers. Educators should always make final determinations by weighing all the information available to them.”
Preparing Students for the Future
Looking beyond the classroom, Turnitin believes its responsibility extends to preparing young people for a future in which AI will be woven into daily life and the workplace. “We support educators by helping them prepare students for a future where AI will be a critical part of everyday learning, work and life,” Thorley says. “Our guidance frames generative AI writing as a tool for enquiry, not as a replacement for critical thinking.”
To make sure its tools remain relevant, Turnitin invests heavily in research and works closely with those directly impacted. “The answer is continuous research and development alongside close collaboration with the education community,” Thorley explains. “We work closely with educators, institutions, students, and researchers to ensure our tools are designed to reflect both the latest technologies as well as the realities of teaching and learning.”
Beyond technology, Turnitin provides educators with peace of mind that academic integrity will remain the foundation of teaching and learning in a new world increasingly influenced by AI.
