Turnitin's report shows a consistent percentage of "traditional" plagiarism, even in the age of AI

OAKLAND, Calif., April 8, 2026 -- Turnitin today released its first quarterly Learning Integrity Insights Report, which shares what the company is learning from educators, students, and institutions as they navigate responsible AI use. Based on global qualitative and quantitative data, Turnitin is hearing that many institutions have moved from detection to integration and have a desire for customizable AI to use in classrooms and lecture halls, recognizing that responsible use exists across a range of applications.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to what responsible use of AI in education looks like," said Annie Chechitelli, Chief Product Officer at Turnitin. "Working with institutions on solutions that support their responsible AI use goals, we are gaining insights into what's working, and what's not. What we're hearing from educators is that those who have integrated AI into their teaching want more customization and insight in how it can be used by their students. We are also hearing from both educators and students that their comfort with AI's presence in feedback and grading is situation-dependent."

Turnitin's Learning Integrity Insights Report explores several themes on AI in education, including:

  • From resistance to integration and personalization: "Responsible" use of AI is a range, in practice, for both students and educators.
    • More than 60% of recent customer feedback prioritized the need for transparency in AI use.
    • Most educators are not just asking whether AI was used; they're asking how and why AI was used.
    • As educators and institutions move from detection, to integration of AI (with guardrails), there is a desire for customization to adjust the approved use of AI to the class or to the assignment.
  • The feedback gap: Teachers tell us that they don't have time to give students the amount of feedback students deserve. And students often don't have time or the opportunity to ask for it during the writing process. AI could help here, but there is a healthy amount of hesitation around bringing AI into feedback.
  • The policy gap: Conversations with customers reveal that when there are clear and consistent policies on the use of AI, both educators and students benefit. But fewer than half of institutions report having an AI policy.

While educators and students find their footing with the role of AI in the learning process and feedback and grading, "traditional" plagiarism still remains persistent with a consistent average of between 6-7% of student papers showing a similarity score of >80% from other sources.1

As institutions, educators and students navigate the AI in the classroom, Turnitin remains committed to working alongside educators to deliver solutions that inspire authentic student learning while freeing up administrative time so educators can spend more time teaching. 

To explore the full Learning Integrity Insights Report, visit https://go.turnitin.com/turnitin-learning-integrity-insights-q1-2026.

Press Contact:

press@turnitin.com

About Turnitin

Turnitin stands with educators and institutions as champions of learning integrity who understand the enduring value of education in a rapidly changing world. As a global company with more than 16,000 customers in 185 countries and territories and more than 25 years of experience working closely with educators, Turnitin designs every product it builds to address timely needs in today's learning settings. From integrity solutions offering transparency in the writing process to delivering secure high-stakes and course assessments, Turnitin provides educators and researchers with the tools they need to navigate responsible use of AI in education and the learning experience. Learn more at turnitin.com.

1 From April 2023 to date, 6.16% of submissions contain >80% similarity, and of those, 91% primarily match other student papers, 7.8% match internet sources, and about 1% match publications. Before the release of generative AI tools over a similar three year period (11/30/2019 - 11/30/2022), a similarly consistent share of student papers showed extremely high overlap with existing sources. About 6.86% of submissions contained >80% similarity, and of those, 88.25% primarily matched other student papers, 10.75% matched internet sources, and about 1% matched publications.

4Jenay Robert and Mark McCormack. 2025 EDUCAUSE AI Landscape Study: Into the Digital AI Divide. Research report. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE, February 2025.

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