I found 3 AI content detectors that identify AI text 100% of the time - and an even better option

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Using an AI to do your writing is plagiarism.
• Services marketed as AI content detectors are a mixed bag.
• Our tests show chatbots perform as well as or better than standalone tools.

How hard is it in 2025  -- just three years after generative AI captured the global spotlight -- to fight back against AI-generated plagiarism?

This is a completely updated version of my January 2023 article on AI content detectors. When I first tested these detectors, the best result was 66% correct from one of three available checkers. My next set of tests, in February 2025, used up to 10 checkers -- and three of them had perfect scores. In April, just a couple of months later, five detectors boasted perfect scores.

Also: The best AI chatbots: I tested ...