AI Text Detectors Offer Probabilistic Scores, Not Definitive Proof of Machine Authorship

AI‑generated‑text detectors evaluate the statistical regularities of a document and return a probability that it was produced by a large language model. They do not deliver a factual verdict; instead they measure patterns such as perplexity (predictability) and burstiness (sentence‑length variation). Tools such as DetectGPT, GPTZero and Turnitin’s AI‑detection module illustrate this approach, producing scores that can be misread as certainty.

Misclassifications have real consequences: students may be accused of cheating, researchers could see papers rejected, and employers might make hiring decisions based on mistaken AI‑authorship judgments. Because the output reflects a tendency rather than proof, human review remains essential to avoid unjust outcomes.