A university professor in Mississippi has gone viral after explaining a hidden method he uses to catch students who submit AI-generated essays. The technique reportedly relies on an invisible or easily overlooked clue embedded within the assignment itself, which flags whether a student's work has been produced or heavily assisted by an AI tool such as ChatGPT. The video's popularity reflects wider anxiety among educators about the growing use of generative AI in academic work, and how institutions can verify genuine student effort.

The professor's approach adds to a broader debate in education about detecting AI use fairly and effectively, especially as some educators argue that too much focus has gone into catching cheats rather than improving how students learn with AI tools. The article notes this comes amid wider discussion around AI in education policy, including moves by the Trump administration to expand AI teaching in schools and Purdue University's introduction of AI-related graduation requirements.