{"id":502411,"date":"2026-03-29T21:25:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502411\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T21:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:25:24","slug":"college-professor-shares-the-one-word-that-proves-students-used-ai-in-their-essays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502411\/","title":{"rendered":"College professor shares the one word that proves students used AI in their essays"},"content":{"rendered":"

By CYDNEY YEATES, US SENIOR TV WRITER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Updated: 00:05 EDT, 28 March 2026 <\/p>\n

A professor has sparked outrage after claiming there’s one word that proves a student has used artificial intelligence in their work.<\/p>\n

Matt Prince, who teaches influencer marketing and personal branding at Chapman University’s School of Communication, ignited backlash when he said the inclusion of the word ‘moreover’ is a sign that a student’s work is inauthentic.<\/p>\n

Speaking in a TikTok<\/a> video shared to his profile, Prince sensationally claimed that if students use it, there is a ‘99.9 percent chance AI<\/a> has written it.’<\/p>\n

He went on to add: ‘I have never heard a 20-year-old use the word moreover in their life, but I’ve seen the word moreover show up in a bunch of submissions this semester.’<\/p>\n

Prince concluded his video by urging students to read through their work before submitting it to make sure it sounds like something they would write.<\/p>\n

‘I love AI but make sure you’re using it to help you and aid you in your process of thinking and not replacing it,’ he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prince’s comments immediately drew backlash from social media users who questioned whether they could get penalized just for having a strong vocabulary.<\/p>\n

One argued: ‘Moreover is such a basic transition word. I knew that one in junior high!’<\/p>\n

\"Professor\u00a0Matt <\/p>\n

Professor\u00a0Matt Prince has claimed the word ‘moreover’ proves a student has used AI in essays<\/p>\n

\"His <\/p>\n

His claim has\u00a0ignited backlash, with many wondering why they would get penalized for having a strong vocabulary (stock image)<\/p>\n

‘Moreover, thus, furthermore, in accordance and therefore are in my vocabulary though,’ said another.<\/p>\n

A third commented: ‘The bar is in hell if students can’t use the word moreover in a college paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Are they now supposed to write papers like they’re sending text messages\/chatting on the phone?’<\/p>\n

‘I’ve been using the word moreover since learning how to write an essay in school… not a good way to tell if something is AI,’ added another.<\/p>\n

Last year, it was widely reported that em dashes were a signal of AI-generated text.<\/p>\n

‘We \u2014 and ChatGPT \u2014 have a soft spot for the em dash,’ an OpenAI employee told the Washington Post at the time.<\/p>\n

‘We’re continuing to improve ChatGPT’s writing abilities to this end.’<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, a survey by Higher Education Policy Institute revealed that nearly all students now use artificial intelligence in assessments, although some admit it makes them ‘lazy’ and ‘think less.’<\/p>\n

Join the debate<\/p>\n

Should professors judge authenticity based on vocabulary, or does this discourage academic growth?<\/p>\n

\"'I <\/p>\n

‘I love AI but make sure you’re using it to help you and aid you in your process of thinking and not replacing it,’ Prince, seen here, said\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Nearly <\/p>\n

Nearly all students now use artificial intelligence in assessments, according to a recent poll (stock image)<\/p>\n

The poll of 1,000 undergraduates found 95 percent admitted to using AI tools such as ChatGPT when completing work.<\/p>\n

In addition, 12 percent said they even use AI to generate text for submission \u2013 up from eight percent in 2025 and three percent in 2024.<\/p>\n

And while almost 49 percent said AI has improved their student experience, 16 percent felt it had made it worse.<\/p>\n

Many said it was impacting on their skills and learning, with one respondent complaining: ‘It is making us all lazy.’<\/p>\n

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