Newcastle University to ditch Turnitin amid AI data controversy

Newcastle University is preparing to sever ties with Turnitin, the software used to check students’ assignments for plagiarism, following concerns over proposed changes to its licensing terms and the handling of academic work with AI.

In a statement published on October 1st, the university confirmed it would not extend its contract with the company beyond the end of the 2026/27 academic year.

A gradual withdrawal of the service will begin as the university assesses alternative ways of maintaining academic integrity.

The decision was made by the University Education Committee in September, with concerns about existing plagiarism-detection alternatives, and changes to Turnitin’s End-User Licence Agreement contributing to the decision.

The university specifically highlighted potential changes affecting how staff and student data could be used for AI-related purposes from next year.

“We will continue to evaluate alternative options to ensure that appropriate academic integrity standards are maintained throughout and beyond the transition,” Ruth Valentine, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, said.

Turnitin is widely used in higher education to compare submitted assignments against existing sources, including published material and previously submitted student work. Its similarity reports help lecturers identify passages that may require further investigation for potential plagiarism.

Most Read

Christa Pike ‘angry’ as she shares message from prison after surviving lethal injection

Praised Farage to full-on socialist: The Celebrity Traitors who are surprisingly super political

Bella Ramsey on Celebrity Traitors made me nervous as a queer person, but then came Ross Kemp

The latest controversy began when Turnitin proposed revisions to its licensing agreement in July 2026. The proposed terms introduced new implementations, including the processing of student submissions and staff input through AI tools, prompting questions about data protection, intellectual property, and the extent to which students have control over work uploaded to the platform.

Newcastle’s decision comes amid a wider reassessment of the software across higher education, although universities have taken different approaches.

The University of Southampton has also announced plans to move away from Turnitin after the ending of this academic year, citing a “responsibility to protect the data, intellectual property and academic work of both our students and the university.”

Elsewhere, the University of Cambridge has continued using Turnitin under its old Terms of Use until July 2027, while discussions over the revised terms continue. Other institutions, including the universities of Manchester and Royal Holloway, have said they will keep the arrangement under review following the company’s decision to delay the changes.

A spokesperson for Turnitin said: “We recognise the responsibility that comes with our customers’ trust to protect their data, which we have prioritised for nearly 30 years. We acknowledge that the introduction of AI in education raised new questions and concerns about data use and privacy.

“To give us time to discuss any changes with customers, we are not updating our End User License Agreement (EULA) any earlier than September 1, 2027. We are committed to being transparent around AI product design and data use and do not train a generative AI model.”

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip, and memes, follow The Newcastle Tab on Instagram and TikTok.