A professor has sparked outrage after claiming there’s one word that proves a student has used artificial intelligence in their work.
Matt Prince, who teaches influencer marketing and personal branding at Chapman University’s School of Communication, ignited backlash when he said the inclusion of the word ‘moreover’ is a sign that a student’s work is inauthentic.
Speaking in a TikTok video shared to his profile, Prince sensationally claimed that if students use it, there is a ‘99.9 percent chance AI has written it.’
He went on to add: ‘I have never heard a 20-year-old use the word moreover in their life, but I’ve seen the word moreover show up in a bunch of submissions this semester.’
Prince concluded his video by urging students to read through their work before submitting it to make sure it sounds like something they would write.
‘I love AI but make sure you’re using it to help you and aid you in your process of thinking and not replacing it,’ he added.
Prince’s comments immediately drew backlash from social media users who questioned whether they could get penalized just for having a strong vocabulary.
One argued: ‘Moreover is such a basic transition word. I knew that one in junior high!’
Professor Matt Prince has claimed the word ‘moreover’ proves a student has used AI in essays
His claim has ignited backlash, with many wondering why they would get penalized for having a strong vocabulary (stock image)
‘Moreover, thus, furthermore, in accordance and therefore are in my vocabulary though,’ said another.
A third commented: ‘The bar is in hell if students can’t use the word moreover in a college paper.
‘Are they now supposed to write papers like they’re sending text messages/chatting on the phone?’
‘I’ve been using the word moreover since learning how to write an essay in school… not a good way to tell if something is AI,’ added another.
Last year, it was widely reported that em dashes were a signal of AI-generated text.
‘We — and ChatGPT — have a soft spot for the em dash,’ an OpenAI employee told the Washington Post at the time.
‘We’re continuing to improve ChatGPT’s writing abilities to this end.’
Earlier this month, a survey by Higher Education Policy Institute revealed that nearly all students now use artificial intelligence in assessments, although some admit it makes them ‘lazy’ and ‘think less.’
‘I love AI but make sure you’re using it to help you and aid you in your process of thinking and not replacing it,’ Prince, seen here, said
Nearly all students now use artificial intelligence in assessments, according to a recent poll (stock image)
The poll of 1,000 undergraduates found 95 percent admitted to using AI tools such as ChatGPT when completing work.
In addition, 12 percent said they even use AI to generate text for submission – up from eight percent in 2025 and three percent in 2024.
And while almost 49 percent said AI has improved their student experience, 16 percent felt it had made it worse.
Many said it was impacting on their skills and learning, with one respondent complaining: ‘It is making us all lazy.’
