How to Detect AI-Written Essays
AI writing in academic submissions is at an all-time high. This guide explains how to detect AI-written essays using perplexity and burstiness analysis — and what to do next.
Free Tool
Free AI Text Detector
No account required · Free forever
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1
Copy the submission text
Open the essay or submission and copy the full text. The detector works best with 100+ words.
- 2
Paste into the AI detector
Paste the text into the input field at the top of this page.
- 3
Click 'Detect AI Content'
No login required. The tool cross-validates against multiple AI models.
- 4
Review the probability score
Scores above 70% indicate strong AI authorship. Scores below 35% suggest human writing.
- 5
Check the Charts tab
Visual charts show perplexity and burstiness patterns that reveal AI generation signals sentence-by-sentence.
Who This Is For
Teachers & Professors
Screen student essays before grading. Flag high-scoring submissions for further review.
Academic Administrators
Audit submitted coursework at scale for AI policy compliance.
Students
Check your own AI-assisted drafts before submission to ensure they meet your institution's AI policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this detect essays written with ChatGPT?
Yes. The tool is specifically calibrated for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other major models. It uses perplexity scoring to detect the predictable word patterns that AI models produce.
Is this AI essay detector free?
Yes. TheFreeAITools provides free AI detection with no account required. Rate limits apply to ensure fair access.
How accurate is AI essay detection?
High accuracy on clearly AI-generated content, moderate accuracy on heavily edited or humanized text. No tool is 100% accurate — use scores as one signal among many.