A question of how much is too much sits squarely at the intersection of AI and education, particularly in humanities. As if adapting to new learning models wasn't challenging enough, the rapid introduction of generative AI has thrown educators and students into a new landscape, often without enough time to understand its full implications, let alone adjust teaching and learning practices.
From my conversations with educators, I know they aspire to guide students on the responsible uses of generative AI, and at the same time worry that reliance on AI will detract from learning. Our goal is to provide actionable academic integrity solutions to educators, with the student learning experience at the center, and this award from TIME demonstrates our industry leading approach to delivering at scale.
Why recognition by TIME Best Inventions matters
To compile their annual list of TIME best inventions, nominations are solicited from its editors and correspondents worldwide, paying special attention to growing fields like AI and education. Each invention is carefully evaluated on key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. Being featured among 300 extraordinary innovations that are changing lives is a powerful acknowledgment of our mission.
What is Turnitin Clarity?
For more than 25 years, Turnitin has partnered with educators to foster academic integrity and support learning. As generative AI reshapes how students write, educators face the challenge of distinguishing between genuine effort, responsible AI use, and potential misuse.
With Turnitin Clarity, educators gain a clear, all-in-one view of each student’s writing journey, from revisions and text additions to moments where AI feedback was requested. This visibility helps educators set assignment-specific AI policies, provide targeted guidance, and help ensure grading is fair and equitable.
At the same time, students get a trusted space to write, reflect, and use AI responsibly with feedback with Turnitin Clarity. It helps them strengthen their critical thinking and writing skills, while learning how to engage with technology in ways to build their own voice. Turnitin Clarity helps serve as a bridge between educators and students.
Learn more: Writing transparency and Turnitin Clarity
Why is transparency in student writing important?
As generative AI tools evolve, educators face increasing pressure to support responsible AI use while preserving academic integrity. A concern is that students might rely on AI as a shortcut, bypassing opportunities to develop critical thinking and resilience. Transparency in the writing process helps educators verify authorship, ensure fair assessment, and promote ethical writing practices.
What challenges do educators face without writing transparency?
A final paper rarely tells the full story. Educators have long requested access to students’ revision histories, but traditional tools have made that process cumbersome or incomplete.
Without visibility into the writing journey, it’s difficult to distinguish between authentic effort, responsible AI use, and potential misconduct. Educators can also lose the ability to guide a student to provide formative feedback that guides students toward improvement and to reduce uncertainty in academic integrity cases. In addition, educators cannot ensure fair and equitable grading or establish and enforce consistent policies on AI use.
How does Turnitin Clarity support educators?
With Turnitin Clarity, educators are in control. They can set permissions for AI use at the assignment level, view a detailed timeline of each student’s writing process, including text additions, pastes, and AI interactions, and identify integrity concerns that may need review, without being overwhelmed by unnecessary data.
How does Turnitin Clarity support students?
Students receive feedback throughout the writing process via Turnitin Clarity’s AI Assistant. The assistant guides students into understanding their assignment requirements, strengthening their grammar, citation, organization, and argumentation skills, and reflecting critically on their ideas.
Turnitin Clarity never does the writing for students. Instead, it prompts deeper thinking, such as having a teaching assistant by their side.
How was Turnitin Clarity developed?
Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, we have been working closely with educators to understand their concerns and plans for generative AI. Turnitin Clarity is the result of these conversations, supporting learning while maintaining trust, fairness, and accountability.
Why was Turnitin Clarity recognized by TIME?
Turnitin Clarity was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 for its innovative approach to transparency and responsible AI use in education. By helping institutions uphold integrity in the age of AI, it’s shaping how knowledge is created, shared, and trusted for years to come.
Find out more about Turnitin Clarity
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