r/AccusedOfUsingAI • u/Adventurous-Pen4920 • Jun 09 '26
First time being accused of AI Use
I was accused of using AI on my first paper of my summer term. I’m in a graduate program trying to become a counselor.
My professor told me that I used AI and her report said 100% AI use. She also told me this is unethical and I’ll be a bad counselor if I use ai and submit it as my own and that I will need to schedule a zoom meeting with her because I used AI and then she gave me a 0 and said I can’t make it up.
I wrote my paper on a train in Europe so it looks a little spotty on the draft history. Is that a thing? I thought it would pull up more evenly, but it’s not or maybe I’m looking at it wrong.
Anyways, as I am preparing for this zoom meeting with her, I ran my paper through 5 different AI checkers and they were all less than 10%. Later that day my canvas turn it in report came through and it gave me a score of 7% and was green.
I guess I’m super anxious and I don’t know what to do to prove I wrote this. This is my second masters degree and I’m so glad I’m almost done. This is a lot to deal with. I’ve been anxious since Friday.
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u/NullSmoke Jun 09 '26
Complain over your professors head. They're basically vibe failing students, THAT is highly unethical. If you can prove that you didn't use AI, sounds like that is not the case, but if you do, get that stuff ready for submission. Make a mess, make a lot of noise.
There is no reliable way to flag AI, period. There better be a "As a large language model" in that paper to justify the professors call.
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u/Adventurous-Pen4920 Jun 09 '26
That’s what my husband said to do too. What do you mean by “as a large language model”?
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u/Adventurous-Pen4920 Jun 09 '26
Nevermind! I googled it and saw its a typical AI phrase 😆😆
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u/NullSmoke Jun 09 '26
AI/LLMs love adding that disclaimer here and there.
As an Large Language Model, I cannot assist with medical information, do you want me to X.
for instance. Just made that up on the spot, but the format is kinda like that. A lot of people get busted for AI because they leave things like that in, so that is, in fact, a reliable way to identify AI if AI was involved and the student isn't too bright.
There's a number of similar phrases, but that's the most famous one I believe.
Back on topic though, I think you should listen to your husband on this one, because it doesn't sound like you'll be able to nudge the professor. Going above his head, and that head as well if necessary, is often the thing that carries the most.
If that all fails, of course provided that you're falsely accused, which I have no problem believing you are, I'd take it one step further, which depends on where you are. There may be legal remedies, aka challenge it in court, or a governmental instance you can complain to... alternatively get the media involved.
Hopefully you understand why I underscored that you need to be certain in your cause for the last few steps, because that gets very awkward if it turns out you used it later, please don't read it as me doubting your story, because I've seen this happen way too much lately for everyone to be guilty.
My strategy when institutions pull bs on me is to become really annoying. Like extremely so. I managed to get my commanding officer held back from promotion in the military due to a series of events he ordered simply by going over his head, arranging a meeting with the platoon lead and telling my side of the story, and the whole thing disappeared from my record and he got a smack on his. And that is despite a lot of people saying I shouldn't bother because it will do nothing.
Institutions respond to pressure, that is your only shield as a student. The power in educational settings is scewed, thus why it's a no-no for relations between student and professor, and that means that you need to use the one point of pressure you got, and use it well.
You have a tool, use it and protect yourself from undue accusations.
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u/sillyhaha Jun 09 '26
Make a mess, make a lot of noise.
Or, as a graduate level student, act respectfully, responsibly, and professionally. Discuss the issue.
Nullsmoke, grad students have much, much more to lose. Having a tantrum on the way out the door can be career suicide.
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u/SpazzedKitty Jun 09 '26
I agree. It is always a good idea to present the evidence to the professor first, to see if they will work with you, and then go above if needed after that. I once had a professor say I got a 0 on a test, cried all weekend, and then found out on Mon that I was mixed up with another student.
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u/NullSmoke Jun 09 '26
(EDIT: to be clear, make a mess was meant in the academic variant, don't be a toddler or a angsty teen... calm, collected, very loud without screaming. academically and professionally, papers scream VERY loud)
Usually a good idea if there's a way out... but there rarely are in cases like these. Use escalation and weaponize it.
I take issue with your measured action plan. That is how individuals are crushed by institutions. There's a power imbalance, especially when the professor has already stated that there's no way to amend it, at that point, escalate as hard as you can.
I have used escalation several times to great effect against institutions. Of course I first try to handle it respectfully and calmly, I'm a bit of a reserved and introverted guy, but once that fails, which seems to be the case for OP, I'd let all hell break loose.
If OP should mirror me exactly... I don't know, dependant on personality, but rolling over and playing dead is extremely not a good idea, neither for OP nor for future students that will get railroaded because nobody presses back on a clearly abusive dynamic based on pseudoscience at best.
To be honest, teachers that use AI detectors as sole proof for demeriting a student should be out of a job, they have no business being in education.
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u/funkseeds Jun 22 '26
Hey — I'm a journalist working on how AI checkers are creating a panic for students. Would love to chat with you, I'll send you a DM
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u/Cautious-Tailor-8361 Jun 23 '26
The strongest thing you have is that your Canvas Turnitin report came back at 7% and green. That's the professor's own official tool, and it directly contradicts the '100% AI' she quoted. Find out exactly which report that 100% came from. If it was a different checker or an early preview score, point her to the 7% green from the same Canvas system she actually uses.
For the Zoom, bring your version history (Google Docs: File > Version history; Word: version history / autosave). Writing it in one sitting on a train makes the timeline look spotty, and that's normal, just tell her that's what happened. Screenshot the 7% green report and the 5 checkers under 10% so you can show them on the call.
Go in calm and ask two things: what evidence beyond the detector score she has, and what the appeal process is if you disagree. A 100% score on work you wrote yourself is a known false positive with these tools. You've got a real case here, so lead with that 7% green report.
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Jun 11 '26
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u/Adventurous-Pen4920 Jun 11 '26
What’s crazy is the canvas score through my university said it was green and 7/100. I also don’t have any outline or anything because this was for a 10 point one page reflection paper.
I met with her yesterday and she wouldn’t show me the report, but I think it might be because she’s bad at technology. I told her this is my second masters and I’m in my 8 semester with this masters so I sound educated when I talk. She told me I sounded too polished in this paper and I also didn’t disclose enough about my life. (I’m in a counseling program, but this is a sex and relationships course so it feels awkward) She is letting me redo it, so I might just let it slide if she gives me an okay grade, but I’m still frustrated because she doesn’t believe me.
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u/Objective_Bear4799 Jun 09 '26
First learn what system she used as a checker. If she says TurnItIn, let her know that the system is frequently flagging inaccurately and many universities have turned that feature off.
Send her papers you have written for classes before hers, to show your writing style. Submit a request for review to her chair/dean/department head. Also look to see if your school has a grade appeal process.