Is this the downfall of Turnitin? Here’s what you need to know

As of the 1st of August 2026, the University of Liverpool implemented new guidelines on the use of Generative AI in learning, teaching and assessments for the next academic year. Furthermore, these guidelines allow students more flexibility in their use of GenAI. 

The university stated in their guidance leaflet that they “support the transparent use of GenAI to enhance practice, not replace it.”

So, what have they changed?

Assessments now must be placed into one of 4 tiers. Tier 1 means that GenAI use is completely prohibited, tier 2 means it is restricted but not central to learning, tier 3 means it is “actively encouraged,” and tier 4 means that GenAI is classed as an “integral element of the assessment.” 

Does this really matter? 

Many students are familiar with the platform Turnitin and use it when they upload their assignments via Canvas. Their work goes through Turnitin to detect use of AI. As of September 2026, Turnitin announced a change. Their new policy plans to use students’ data (submitted on the platform) to train AI models. 

The University of York’s Student Union took to BBC News to share students’ fears that data was being taken “without the meaningful consent of the people who produced the content.”

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In response, the University of York said that they will review the changes to Turnitin’s software. The University of Southampton also responded to concerns and are already phasing out the use of Turnitin for the next academic year. 

The University of Liverpool’s Guild Officers posted a statement on Instagram with the following: “We believe your academic work belongs to you and nobody else. AI companies have no right to train their language models without permission.”

This post has received mixed responses. A postgraduate student commented, “The University should absolutely stand their ground regarding this. A part of a university’s reputation depends on how they defend their students against such injustices.”

A University of Liverpool spokesperson said: “Turnitin is one of the tools currently used by the University of Liverpool to support the electronic management of assessment.

“As is the case across the wider higher education sector, we are reviewing our use of Turnitin and will continue to assess its suitability, including as part of any future contract review.

“In the meantime, Turnitin has reassured UK universities and colleges that, in light of concerns raised, it has postponed the introduction of a new End-User Licence Agreement (EULA) until September 2027. Moreover, Turnitin has also confirmed that no student or staff data has been used to develop any generative AI models or large language models.”

Whilst plans have been paused due to immense backlash, the platform still plan to review this policy in September 2027. The University of Liverpool’s statement on Instagram shows that they have no immediate plans to phase out the use of Turnitin.