Tegeera Study Track

I Can Smell AI from a Mile Away (And the Lecturer Can Too!)

I’m going to be honest: I am sick of reading and listening to AI-generated group presentations. Whether it’s an AI image that looks 'too perfect' or a 2,000-word essay that sounds like a robot, I can smell it a mile away, and I’m tired of it. This is not to say that I’m not guilty of using it too.  I’ve used these tools myself, so I know exactly how the 'shortcut' trap works. But if I can tell it’s fake, believe me, your lecturers can too. Here is how to tell when someone is being lazy:

• If your coursework is full of words like delve, tapestry, pivotal, or shaping the landscape, you’ve been caught. Real students don’t write like that!
• AI work often feels "flat" because every sentence is roughly the same length, whereas real people mix short, punchy points with longer explanations to give their writing a natural rhythm.
• AI is always too nice. If you ask it "Who makes the best Rolex in Kampala?" it will give a boring, balanced answer. Real people have strong, local opinions; AI doesn't.
• Look at those AI-generated posters. Are there six fingers on a hand? Do the people in the background look like melted marshmallows? If the signposts are written in a fake alien language, it’s a bot.

Use AI to Catch AI

To determine if an image was generated by AI:

• Upload the image to an AI tool and ask if the image was AI-generated.
• The AI will search for digital watermarks like a SyncID, or "unnatural metadata."
• The AI may also analyse the image for inconsistencies, such as shadows going in different directions or "mathematically perfect" textures.

If we use AI to do the thinking, we’re the ones losing.

Coming up next: Using Ai without Cheating