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AI detection tools are causing harm by falsely accusing students, educators, and workers of misuse. These tools, designed to detect AI-generated content, are flawed and inaccurate, leading to devastating consequences. Innocent people are losing scholarships, being unfairly punished, and facing severe academic and career setbacks.

But here’s the thing: AI isn’t the enemy. AI is a tool that promotes equity, helps students with disabilities, and provides educational support. It’s the detection tools that are broken.

As Halloween approaches, we are calling for an end to this modern-day witch hunt—a world where students, educators, and workers live in fear of false accusations because of flawed AI detection tools.

Here’s What We’re Asking For:

1.  Transparency
   AI detection tools must be open and honest about how they work. Schools and workplaces using these tools should know exactly what they’re dealing with. If these tools can’t guarantee accuracy, they shouldn’t be trusted.
2. Independent Testing
   These tools need to be tested by independent experts to make sure they’re fair and reliable. Right now, too many AI detection tools are flawed, and federal money should not be used to pay for broken systems.
3. Human Oversight and Training
   AI detection tools shouldn’t be trusted on their own. Teachers, administrators, and employers need proper training on how to use these tools correctly. Human oversight is crucial to prevent unjust accusations and ensure AI tools are used responsibly.
4. Stop Unfair Discipline
   Students—especially those with disabilities and marginalized backgrounds—are being punished unfairly. A recent study found that disciplinary actions related to AI have increased by 16% in schools. Marginalized students, such as those with disabilities and English learners, are hit the hardest. AI tools should help level the playing field, not be used against them.
5. Workplace Accountability
   Employees are facing discrimination and wrongful termination due to flawed AI detection tools. We are calling on the Department of Labor and the Office of Civil Rights to take action and hold businesses accountable for using these faulty technologies in a way that unfairly targets workers.

 
Why This is Personal:
As an educator and AI advocate from a neurodiverse family, I’ve seen firsthand how these flawed tools hurt the very people they’re supposed to help. Students with learning disabilities are being accused of cheating for using AI tools to help them learn. Workers are losing their jobs due to faulty AI accusations. This is a fight for their rights—and the rights of anyone being wrongfully accused.

 
Consequences and Parallels with Department of Education Funding:
Schools, both public and private, receive federal funding, particularly through programs like FAFSA that help students access financial aid. Just as schools have faced consequences and lost federal dollars for failing to meet accessibility standards or not providing adequate teacher-student engagement in online courses, they should also face consequences for using flawed AI detection tools. Federal dollars should not be allocated to tools that are falsely advertised and misused, especially when those tools harm students by making unfounded accusations of academic dishonesty.

These AI detection tools, if left unchecked, will continue to harm students and potentially cause schools to lose federal funding. Just as the Department of Education holds institutions accountable for other forms of misuse, it must ensure that these AI detection tools are not misused and do not become a barrier to students' educational opportunities.

 
Call to Action for the Federal Trade Commission:
We are also calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to step in and stop companies from falsely advertising AI detection tools. These companies are giving schools, teachers, and employers a false sense of confidence in the tools' ability to accurately detect AI-generated content, leading to unjust punishments. The FTC must ensure that these tools are properly labeled with disclaimers about their limitations, and that companies stop marketing them as foolproof solutions when they are not.

Schools and businesses that rely on these flawed tools are making critical disciplinary decisions based on inaccurate data, and that must stop. It’s time for the FTC to hold companies accountable for misleading claims.

 
Revamping Curricula and Assessments to Reflect the AI Evolution:
It’s time for schools and workplaces to embrace AI as a powerful tool for learning and productivity. We are calling on the Department of Education to push for curricula and assessments that reflect the evolution of AI and its benefits. Current systems are outdated and punitive, stifling creativity and learning.

Rather than using AI tools to detect AI misuse, schools and workplaces should be rethinking how AI can be integrated into their systems to foster innovation and equity. AI is not just a tool for automation—it is a tool for enhancing learning, empowering students with disabilities, and preparing the workforce for the future.

 
Call to Action:
We can’t let this witch hunt continue. AI detection tools must be fair, transparent, and accurate. If they’re not, they shouldn’t be used—especially not in schools or workplaces that receive federal funding.

Sign this petition today to demand:

• Transparency and independent testing of AI detection tools.
• Human oversight and training to prevent wrongful accusations in both schools and workplaces.
• An end to unfair disciplinary actions caused by flawed AI tools in education and employment.
• Accountability for businesses that use faulty AI detection tools to wrongfully target employees.
• Consequences for schools that misuse these tools, risking their federal funding just as they would with accessibility violations or improper course engagement.
• Action from the Federal Trade Commission to stop companies from falsely advertising AI detection tools and misleading educators and employers about their reliability.
• A revamp of curricula and assessments to reflect the evolution of AI and its role in enhancing learning and preparing students and employees for the future.
   

Let’s stop the AI witch hunt and ensure AI is used to help, not hurt. Please sign and share this petition now to make this happen by Halloween!

 
Join the Movement and Access Exclusive Resources:
At Transcenders, Inc., we are committed to creating tools and resources to fight false accusations caused by AI detection tools. Visit Transcenders Inc. to access exclusive advocacy resources, stay informed, and learn how you can contribute to this critical cause.

While there, you’ll have the opportunity to support our ongoing work by subscribing or donating, helping us continue the fight for fairness and equity.

Further Reading:

• Leon Furze, "AI Detection in Education is a Dead End," Leon Furze, April 9, 2024.
  • Discusses the inaccuracy and inequity issues associated with AI detection tools in education.
• "Professors proceed with caution using AI-detection tools," Inside Higher Ed, February 9, 2024.
  • Highlights the mixed performance of AI detection tools and the need for caution in their use.
• "The Pedagogical Dangers of AI Detectors for the Teaching of Writing," Compstudies Journal, June 30, 2023.
  • Explores the pedagogical dangers of relying on AI detection tools and the importance of human oversight in evaluating student writing.
• "AI Detectors Don't Work. Here's What to Do Instead," MIT Sloan EdTech, 2024.
  • Emphasizes the flaws in AI detection tools and advocates for alternative strategies to promote academic integrity.