An AI watermark in a thesis may reveal the origin of generated text, even though it is invisible on screen. If you plan to submit a chapter written by ChatGPT or Claude, do not assume that fluent language will put your mind at ease. OpenAI and Anthropic are developing text watermarking, and JSA can detect the use of artificial intelligence!
A master's thesis, a bachelor's thesis or any other degree thesis is more than a finished text file. It carries your name, your future, your career and your responsibility for what you submit. Do not put your thesis at risk for a few hours of apparent savings. At StudentSupport, we provide our services without AI - a person works on your material. Tell me about your thesis.
AI watermarks: what is changing in ChatGPT and Claude?
Text can look ordinary while containing a signal that allows its origin to be checked. Such a watermark need not be a note you notice after copying an answer into Word. It can arise during generation through the way words are chosen.
ChatGPT: OpenAI announces textGrain
On 5 October 2026, OpenAI described textGrain: an invisible statistical signal in text. The company announced a gradual rollout in selected ChatGPT and Codex products in the EU. OpenAI stated: "Over the next few weeks, we will add an invisible watermark to eligible text outputs from ChatGPT and Codex in the European Union." It explained that its text watermarking technology, textGrain, adds an invisible statistical signal to the model's word choices. Its detector looks for this signal to assess whether a passage contains an OpenAI watermark. OpenAI's researchers also stated that they would continue improving detection and studying how watermarks withstand editing and translation. Source: OpenAI's official announcement about textGrain.
Claude: Anthropic introduces text watermarking
Anthropic announced that it is introducing a watermark in new versions of Claude worldwide. The solution uses SynthID-Text, and access to the signal detection tool is being made available to educational institutions and organisations in the pilot programme. Source: Anthropic's announcement about Claude's text watermark.
Invisible does not mean undetectable. The text watermarks described by the providers rely on a statistical signal. Cryptographically signed file metadata, such as C2PA, is a different mechanism for establishing provenance. Text need not visibly say "generated by AI" for signs of generation to be investigated!
A paper by S. Dathathri's team in Nature on scalable watermarking of language model text presents a scientific basis for text watermarking. Such methods investigate text provenance; they do not determine copyright or identify who used a particular account.
Using AI for a thesis may cost more than it saves
Generating a page takes a moment. Your name stays on it much longer. If someone asks about a source, the text's origin or a research finding, "ChatGPT wrote it" will not defend your thesis. Apparent savings may end in rewriting a chapter, a delayed defence and having to explain how the text was actually produced. Do not trade years of study for the convenience of a single prompt and its potential consequences!
Your name stays on the text
You submit the thesis and answer questions about its content. A polished paragraph will help you today and expose you some time later!
Sources must actually be checked
A publication described in a chat response is not yet a verified source. The author, title, bibliographic details and cited conclusion must match the actual publication.
Revisions take time
If a generated passage does not fit the topic, methodology or the rest of the chapter, polished wording will not resolve the problem. The content needs work.
Do not build your thesis on the hope that nobody will notice anything. Work towards a text whose meaning you understand and can justify. If you are struggling with citations, start with the guide Bibliography and footnotes: common formatting errors.
AI in a bachelor's or master's thesis: the risks do not end at the defence
Today you are thinking about the file submission deadline. Years later, the same text may resurface in a different setting: when you are building your professional standing, publishing or presenting your qualifications. Questions about authorship hurt more then. It is not worth starting your career with material whose creation you can explain only by saying, "I admit it... I used ChatGPT"
A thesis does not disappear after the examination. Article 347 of Poland's Law on Higher Education and Science provides for a repository containing, among other things, the thesis text and the author's details. A stored text can be analysed again; this does not mean automatic checks on all graduates. The defence does not erase the document or responsibility for its content. Source: the Act, Article 347.
Yes, your diploma may also be at stake. Article 77(5) of that Act provides for the rector to invalidate a diploma if the thesis author has claimed authorship of a substantial part of someone else's work or scientific finding. If generated text contains such borrowings presented as the author's own, the problem may also emerge after graduation. An AI detector result is not itself a decision to invalidate a diploma - the legal basis and facts must be established. Source: the Act, Article 77(4)-(5).
Before graduation, a breach of university rules may also lead to disciplinary proceedings; the statutory list of penalties includes even expulsion. These are consequences of an established disciplinary offence and depend on the circumstances of the case. Source: the Act, Articles 307-308.
A bachelor's thesis with AI: do not start with doubts about your authorship
This is often the first substantial text through which you demonstrate that you can work independently on a topic. Submitting chapters generated on your behalf may leave you with a finished file but without the ability to defend its meaning. At a later stage of study or when discussing your skills, a fluent paragraph will not be enough. You will need your own understanding of the problem.
A master's thesis with AI: a few convenient minutes may undermine years of effort
A master's thesis should demonstrate more than an ability to put sentences together. When sources are unreliable, conclusions do not follow from the data and the author cannot reconstruct the reasoning, polished language merely covers up the problem. You do not want a discussion of your achievements to be replaced by the question: "Is this even your work?"
Fraud and unreliable documents: when criminal liability may arise
If deceiving someone serves financial gain and causes them to dispose of property to their detriment, it may constitute fraud under Article 286 § 1 of the Polish Criminal Code. As a general rule, this provision carries a sentence of 6 months to 8 years' imprisonment. Depending on the facts, Articles 272 and 273 on fraudulently obtaining false certification and using such a document may also be relevant. This requires establishing the specific elements of the offence, rather than merely showing that AI was used. Source: the Criminal Code, Articles 272-273 and 286.
Do not put your name on a foundation you cannot control. A possible authorship dispute means stress, time and the risk of losing trust. So ask us for help rather than generating more chapters. Tell us what your thesis needs.
Can JSA detect AI in a bachelor's or master's thesis?
JSA offers analysis of possible use of artificial intelligence. OPI describes examining text predictability, including the perplexity measure. When AI analysis is selected, the system may flag suspicious passages in the report. This is separate from similarity to existing sources. Source: JSA documentation on the use of artificial intelligence.
The result of this analysis still requires human assessment. JSA's documentation does not describe this particular function as reading watermarks based on textGrain or Claude technology. A low similarity percentage does not guarantee that generated text will not raise questions. We discuss the differences between a similarity report and AI analysis in a separate guide: Can plagiarism checkers detect AI? JSA and the similarity report.
Watermark detectors can also produce incorrect results. Short passages and certain types of text are harder to assess. A single alert, or the absence of one, must therefore be considered alongside the sources and the process through which the thesis was produced. A detector result cannot replace honest authorship.
The AI Act: marking content becomes an obligation
Article 50 of the EU AI Act requires providers of certain systems to mark generated content, including text, in a machine-readable format. These solutions are intended to enable detection of artificial origin within the limits of technical feasibility. The provision includes exceptions, such as standard editing assistance that does not substantially alter the content. It does not require a single universal "cryptographic mark" in every thesis. Source: the AI Act, current consolidated text, Article 50.
The transparency obligations generally apply from 2 August 2026; qualifying systems placed on the market earlier have a transition period until 2 December 2026. The European Commission explains this in its questions and answers on Article 50.
The AI Act does not establish a general ban on using AI in theses. University rules on independent work and disclosure of tool use remain relevant. The practical conclusion for the author is straightforward: do not base your decision on the belief that the text's origin will always remain a secret.
A high-profile dispute over a report shows why trust matters
In an article dated 28 August 2026, Zero.pl reported on a report co-authored by Prof. Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń of Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (UEW). According to that account, the researcher acknowledged using AI and defended the reliability of the study; the prosecutor's office confirmed that proceedings had been opened into the matter. At the stage described, no one had been charged. Source: Zero.pl's account of the dispute over the report.
This account does not confirm the detection of a watermark or establish the responsibility of the person named. It does show, however, that questions about AI involvement can also concern studies bearing the names of experienced authors. It is worth building confidence in your own text before publication, rather than waiting until you have to explain it.
Your thesis. Our services without AI
At StudentSupport, we provide our services without AI. A person works on your material, reading it in the context of your topic and your supervisor's comments. I personally learn about your situation and agree the scope of support with you. Your bachelor's or master's thesis need not remain a problem you are trying to solve alone.
Services relating to your thesis involve human judgement, contact and responsibility for the agreed scope. I will help organise chapters, improve the language and turn your supervisor's feedback into specific revisions. See the service Bachelor’s and master’s thesis proofreading and editing. If the problem concerns sources and citations, you can use the service Reference list and citation corrections for your thesis.
The aim is to work on a text you can stand behind, rather than hide traces of AI. We agree the scope of support based on your material and requirements. I do not promise a particular detector result or a grade awarded by the university.
AI in our videos. A person working on your order
Artificial intelligence helps us animate our owl, for example, and create entertaining video scenes for you and for promotional purposes. These tools let our company prepare visuals that would previously have required an enormous advertising budget. We label our videos and content as made with AI when AI has actually been used.
We provide our services without AI, with personal involvement in your material and the agreed scope of work.
Already have AI-generated passages? Start with your own materials
Do not add more generated paragraphs simply because the deadline is approaching. Check your university's requirements and return to your sources, your own notes and actual research findings. Keep successive versions of the document so that you can explain your contribution.
If you do not know where to start, send me the passage you are unsure about. Together, we will establish whether you need to organise your arguments, edit the text or check the bibliography. You do not have to solve everything alone. A simple conversation about your situation can be the first step.
How can you check one claim in an AI-assisted passage?
Suppose a paragraph contains the sentence: "Hybrid working improves all employees' satisfaction." This is an example to verify, not a scientific finding.
- Check that the source exists. Find the stated title, authors and year in an actual catalogue or database. A DOI that merely looks correct is not enough.
- Read the relevant passage. Note whether the authors examined satisfaction, how they defined hybrid working and whom they studied. Separate their finding from the commentary generated in the paragraph.
- Define the limits of the claim. A finding about a particular group does not automatically justify the word "all", and an association alone does not demonstrate an improvement caused by a change in working arrangements.
- Make a decision. Write the sentence within the limits actually supported by the publication, find the additional source you need or remove the claim. Do not replace a missing basis with another response from a generator.
For a check, send the text, the available original publication and an explanation of what you are unsure about. This review concerns the meaning and sources of a statement; it is not a way to guarantee watermark removal or a particular detector result.
Frequently asked questions about AI watermarks and theses
Can text from ChatGPT or Claude contain an invisible watermark?
Yes. Anthropic is introducing text watermarking in new versions of Claude, and OpenAI has announced the rollout of textGrain in selected products and models. The watermark is a signal in word choices that is invisible to readers. Coverage depends on the model, product, and rollout stage; not every AI response is watermarked. The guide explains the details: AI watermark in a thesis.
Can an AI watermark identify every AI-generated text with complete certainty?
No. Text watermarking lets a detector look for a signal of origin, but providers describe both false positives and false negatives. The length and type of text, and the watermarking coverage of the model, all matter. The result needs to be assessed in the context of the sources and how the thesis was produced. Do not treat a detector result as a certificate of authorship.
Does a low PRP score mean the thesis does not contain AI-generated text?
This cannot be determined based on the PRP score alone. Similarity to sources and analysis of potential AI usage are different issues. Check the relevant section of the report and the supervisor's comments.
Does the AI Act prohibit using ChatGPT in a master's or bachelor's thesis?
The AI Act does not establish a general prohibition on using ChatGPT in theses. Article 50 concerns, among other things, the labelling of content generated by AI systems. University requirements also determine the rules for preparing the thesis and disclosing the use of tools. Check these before starting the work and keep documentation of your own contribution.
Bibliography, sources and currency of information
Information current as at 13 October 2026. Paweł Maziarz also reported on OpenAI's new solution in Benchmark.pl on 6 October 2026.
Scientific publication: Dathathri S. et al. (2024), Scalable watermarking for identifying large language model outputs, Nature, 634, pp. 818-823. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08025-4.
Kanał Zero / Zero.pl: Filip Baczkura, "Raport Mróz-Gorgoń i 180 tys. zł dotacji. Prokuratura wszczęła śledztwo", 28 August 2026. Press report used in the account of the report dispute, retaining the stage of proceedings described in it.
Legal provisions: Poland's Law on Higher Education and Science, Article 77(4)-(5), Articles 307-308 and Article 347; the Polish Criminal Code, Articles 272-273 and Article 286. Official consolidated texts in ELI.
A bachelor's or master's thesis? Choose a person you can trust!
Do not risk your name for a ready-made text from a generator. Tell me where you are stuck. We provide our services without AI - I will help you refine your material with personal involvement and a clearly agreed scope.
Request revisions to an AI-assisted text
