California Colleges Are Spending Millions on AI Detectors. Is It Helping Anyone?
I recently read a Markup article that genuinely caught me off guard. It talked about how public colleges in California are spending millions on AI detectors, mainly Turnitin's AI-writing detection tool, and I couldn't help but ask myself: is this actually helping students learn, or just punishing them more efficiently?
Let's break it down.
Since 2019, Cal State campuses have spent over $6 million on Turnitin. The UC system isn't far behind either, with individual campuses like UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego paying six figures each year. Even smaller schools like Cal Poly are dropping serious cash.
The kicker? Nobody really knows if it's working.
The article points out that these tools are often inaccurate, with a bad habit of flagging students who speak multiple languages or write in less conventional ways. Instead of making the system fairer, it sometimes ends up doing the opposite, putting honest students at risk while not actually stopping the ones trying to cheat smarter.
What's worse is how inconsistent the pricing is. Some community colleges are being charged more per student than elite schools with bigger budgets. That just doesn't sit right. And if you zoom out, it raises a bigger issue: how did AI detectors become the default solution to a deeper educational problem?
Think about it. Why are students turning to AI tools in the first place? Why are we focused on punishing them instead of helping them grow as thinkers and writers?
Shouldn't we be investing in solutions that build trust, not fear?
That's where I think we're missing the point, and it's exactly why I started working on LoomaEdu.
Unlike traditional AI detectors, LoomaEdu doesn't just analyze a finished essay and try to guess if it was written by a robot. Instead, it tracks the writing process. Every edit, every pause, every thought that gets typed out, we give educators real insight into how a student's work came together. And that kind of transparency changes everything.
When you can see how a student writes, you don't have to assume the worst. You can guide them, offer feedback, and spot when something feels off without making accusations. Looma helps reduce false flags and rebuilds the trust that's been eroded by surveillance-heavy approaches.
And the best part? It's cost-effective. In a time when schools are spending millions on tools that might not even work, Looma offers a smarter, more supportive solution that actually empowers both teachers and students.
If we want to protect academic integrity, we need to stop treating students like suspects and start treating them like learners.
Curious how LoomaEdu could support your classroom or school?
Try it out or book a quick demo at loomaedu.com. Whether you're a teacher who's tired of second-guessing student work or an admin looking to adopt a smarter, more student-centered tool, we'd love to show you how Looma works in action.