Does AI Detection Software Work? We Tested 3 Popular Tools.

0:00Good morning and thank you for joining me here with the Epic Times Morning Brief. Brought to you by one of America's largest independent newspapers. I'm Keegan Billings, it's Thursday, October 1st, and let's jump into a rundown for today. Starting off today, publishers are increasingly using tools that can identify AI-written content, but are the analyses accurate? One of our reporters put the tools to the test. Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced new directives for the US military during an address on the state of the armed forces. Moving on to more news, Senate Democrats blocked a Republican bill previously passed by the House that would encourage states to require data centers to pay for their own energy costs. They also blocked a House pass bill that would have limited members of Congress from trading stocks. Next, South Korean investors are pouring $200 billion in energy and infrastructure investments in the US. And in World News, a fly Dubai flight carrying primarily Israeli passengers from Dubai to Israel

1:03was diverted on Wednesday after a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft. But first, if you haven't already, please show your support for Epic Times and Independent Journalism by leaving a five-star review of this show on your podcast platform. Or if you have a minute, head over to www.ratethispodcast.com forward slash morning brief. Our team would really appreciate it. Alright, now let's get back to the news. Starting off with, does AI detection software work? We tested three popular tools. Okay, so writing generated by AI is becoming a familiar headache for publishers, educators, and other professionals amid widespread calls to protect and prioritize human authored content. AI writing detectors have stepped up to the challenge. Some tool makers say they can identify human versus AI writing with up to 99% accuracy. But attorneys say caution is needed. Educators, publishers, and employers using AI detection score as the basis of their decision-making

2:03over questionable writing could face serious legal consequences. AI experts, even those who've built detection tools, say that these services are meant to offer useful clues, but that they aren't infallible. In fact, they seem to share a common blind spot. Researchers have been evaluating AI detection tools for some time, and studies and experts have emphasized one key point. It's that humans still need to be part of the assessment process. Studies and experts have also raised concerns about the accuracy of these tools and their potential to flag human writing as AI. Now a spokesperson for one of these tools, GPT-0, told us, A detection result is a signal, not a verdict. It should open an inquiry, never close one. In a professional setting, two things matter more than the detector itself. The spokesperson said, first an organization needs a written AI use policy before it needs a detector. Detection can help enforce a standard. It cannot substitute for having one. And second, the spokesperson said, look for patterns rather than single instances and

3:04pair detection with process evidence. Now we tested three leading AI writing detection tools, PanGram, GPT-0, and originality AI over the course of two weeks. And the results were eye-opening. Identical writing samples between 500 and 2,000 words in length were used on the free tier of each of the detection platforms. All of the writing samples contained either 100% AI writing, 100% human writing, or a hybrid, 25%, 50% or 75% AI writing. Now in our testing, the 100% AI writing samples were easily spotted by all three detection services. PanGram and GPT-0 returned an AI probability score of 100% each, while originality AI flagged the text as at least 40% likely to be AI generated. In the test, all three detection tools performed similarly well when identifying the 100% human writing samples. However, things got interesting when hybrid writing was introduced.

4:06In the test, PanGram's results with human AI hybrid writing samples showed the most dramatic change. The same writing that was originally 100% human written was edited to include 25% AI generated text. The new score then came back as 87% AI written. Then when the ratio was inverted to a 25% human to 75% AI split, the score returned by PanGram and the test was 100% AI writing. In the test, GPT-0 and originality AI also treated the 2575 hybrid writing sample ratio as a tripwire. The two programs were most reliable when detecting this ratio in either direction, but struggled with the 50-50 human AI writing split. When scoring the hybrid writing samples, PanGram was most accurate when assessing the 50-50 human AI sample. But here's where it gets tricky, using AI editing software such as Grammarly can also affect your score. Author Mia Ballard denied using AI to write her novel Shagirl.

5:09After public reports, said she lost a contract with the publishing house amid reported suspicions of heavy AI use. Ballard said her editor may have used AI in the revision or editing process. The reports described a suspicion, not an established finding that Ballard used AI to write the novel. Okay, now let's move on to the War Department for our next story. Secretary of War P Hegset announced new directives for the US military during an address on the state of the armed forces. Hegset emphasized a series of cultural shifts within the military. As he began his remarks, Hegset also briefly alluded to new order to cut the total number of general officer slots across the military. Now among the new plans, Hegset announced the formation of an autonomous warfare command called Auto Warcom. The command is tasked with scaling autonomous and robotic capabilities across armed forces. Hegset also announced a revamped Pentagon effort dubbed Project Aging Court to speed up the adoption of autonomous systems.

6:09Hegset's next directive entails an effort called Project Meridian to study the potential futures of warfare. The Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering, Emil Michael, will head the project. He will have the support of Elon Musk, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Andoral CEO Paul Merlucky. Hegset also announced making key US military installations and other critical supplies in infrastructure more resilient to disruptions. Just among the directives, Hegset announced the plan to expand the military's officer candidacy programs. Six new universities have now obtained senior military status and established Kadek Corps to prepare students who plan to commission his officers. The first five universities to establish new Kadek Corps are Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University, and Hillsdale College. According to Hegset, more will be added at a later date. The final new policy Hegset announced was the formation of an office of religious affairs.

7:10That's to address challenges affecting religious practice within the military. Hegset characterized a problem in which people with little to no experience in religion have been allowing to shape the military's policies. He said this new office will report directly to his office. He said no staff filters, no bureaucratic dilution, a direct line to the secretary. Now let's move on to Capitol Hill for our next story. When it Democrats blocked a Republican bill previously passed by the House, that would encourage states to require data centers to pay for their own energy costs. It was a 57-43 vote. The Senate rejected the bid by Senator John Hustead, the Republican from Ohio, and needed 60 votes to overcome the filibuster threshold. All before Democrats, all soft, war knock, club bacha, and Hassan voted against the bill. The law would call on states to consider adopting models that make data centers fund their own energy within a year, but would set no requirements that states ultimately adopt them. Senate Democrats have broadly dismissed the bill as toothless, pushing for the adoption

8:12of alternative proposals. They also said the bill is being considered now for political reasons, as the Senate finishes out its final week on Capitol Hill until November. So after Hegset had sought to pass the bill under unanimous consent on September 17th, Senator Martin Heinrich, the Democrat from New Mexico, blocked the motion. Saying the Senate's bill to address this topic should have more stringent federal enforcement mechanisms. Heinrich noted that for many Americans, utility rates had already increased, and that Americans would not gain relief from the state opt-in process of the Rape Pair Protection Act. Instead, he proposed consideration of his bill, the Grid Savings Act, to require large load customers like data centers to pay for the facilities needed to connect them to the grid. Now, in more news from the upper chamber, Senate Democrats also blocked a House pass bill that would have limited members of Congress from trading stocks. That tally was 53-47, coming short of the necessary 60 votes to advance. Democrats objected to the legislation because the president was not covered under the bill,

9:13and it required voters to show photo ID when voting. The failed procedural vote leaves a longstanding issue in Congress unresolved. Now, the bill was introduced by Rep Brian Style, the Republican from Wisconsin. It passed to House in July. It would have allowed members to hold onto stocks they currently own, and therefore not have to sell them. A member of Congress would have had between 7 and 14 days to file a public notice of intent to sell with the Secretary of State or the clerk of the House of Representatives, depending on which chamber he is in, when he, his spouse or his dependent, sells a covered investment. The bill would not have applied to an interest in a widely held investment fund or certain investments held in a trust, but it would have pertained to investments such as a security issue by a publicly traded company. If an individual covered under the legislation trade stocks, a fee would have applied. If the individual purchased a covered investment, he would have been required to sell that investment. In his speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill provided transparency and included real penalties.

10:13He said the photo ID provision has the overwhelming support of American people. On the other hand, Senate Democrats pan the legislation saying it falls short. Ok, now let's move on to the high court for our next story. The Supreme Court lifted a lower court's stay of execution for Christa Gail Pike, clearing the way for Tennessee's first execution of a woman in more than 200 years. Justice Isoto Mayor Kagan and Brown Jackson descended. In an unsigned order, the court majority did not provide reasons for vacating the stay. A court of appeals halted the lethal injection execution about an hour before it was scheduled to start on September 30th at River Bend maximum security institution in Nashville, Tennessee. The 10AM execution was paused after the six circuit requested more time to determine whether Pike's history of childhood sexual abuse was fully presented when a jury convicted her and sentenced her to death in 1996. Not long after, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scrametti asked the Supreme Court to lift the stay.

11:14So a Knox County jury convicted Pike of first degree murder and conspiracy and sentenced her to death in the killing of Colleen Slammer, age 19. She was her classmate at Knoxville Job Corps, a residential job training program for disadvantaged teenagers and young adults. Scrametti said, Pike, then 18, beat, tortured and killed Colleen Slammer. Because in her own words, she just felt mean on that day, January 12th, 1995, the date of the murder. Prosecutor said Pike believed Slammer was trying to take her boyfriend, a claim Slammer's friends denied. Scrametti said Pike slash Slammer's throat multiple times stabbed her in the back and crushed her school. Pike also medilated the victim's body by carving pentagrams, which police linked to satanic worship. Then in 2004, she received a separate concurrent 25-year sentence for the attempted murder of another inmate in 2001. Okay, let's move on to an announcement by President Trump. The president announced that South Korean investors are pouring $200 billion in energy and infrastructure investments into the U.S.

12:16Now the projects unveiled yesterday include a range of energy facilities nationwide, including nuclear and gas-powered plants, as well as a follow-through on a $350 billion strategic investment commitment, Trump secured last year in a trade agreement signed with South Korea in exchange for reduced tariffs. At the time they were lowered to 15% from 25%. At the announcement, Trump said, we make great deals. It's what we do. So the deal also includes $54 billion to build a liquefied natural gas project in Alaska. Completion of the 807 mile pipeline from the state's north slope to a terminal in the Nikiski area on the southern coast is expected to take three years, with the timeline for LNG exports estimated at five years. Additional benefits to the state's residents will include reduced energy costs, with savings of up to $2,000 per family each year according to the president. Now once complete, the system's capacity will total nearly 4 billion cubic feet of LNG every day and approximately 20 million metric tons of gas annually.

13:19During the event, Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican from Alaska, praised the move, saying this is the most important project in our state by far. He said this is the project that's going to keep our kids and grandkids in Alaska with a bright future. Okay, now let's move on to an update on the Federal Reserve renovation. So according to an Inspector General report, the Federal Reserve failed to use key cost controls and adequately oversee the headquarters renovation, whose appeared budget grew by more than $1 billion. The Inspector General identified significant management deficiencies, but said they found no reasonable grounds to believe that a federal criminal violation had occurred. The review also found no administrative misconduct. The construction costs for renovating the Mariner S. Eccles and 1951 Constitution Avenue buildings in Washington increased from $921 million in February 2020 to $2 billion in December 2024. The budget then grew from $1.31 billion in 2020 to $2.38 billion in August 2026.

14:21Construction originally expected to finish in the second quarter of 2024 is now scheduled to end in December 2027. The report found the Federal Reserve at fault for not successfully managing or executing the project. Inspector General investigation began in July last year at the request of then Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Now in response, President Trump and a post on true social called for Powell, who served as Chairman until May 22nd, but still serves on the Board of Governors until January 31, 2028, to resign immediately in light of the report. All right, now let's move on to the Department of Justice for our next story. The DOJ announced grand jury indictments against 10 foreign nationals who allegedly registered and voted illegally in Minnesota in the 2022, 2024 and 2026 elections. Now the suspects are all lawful permanent residents from various countries, ranging from Bosnia to Brazil to Ghana. So eight of the 10 suspects are accused of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote, which carries penalties of up to five years in prison, as well as three years of

15:25supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. All 10 have been charged with voting by an alien, a misdemeanor that carries up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of up to $100,000. Now the announcement comes on the heels of similar DOJ indictments in recent weeks, and as part of a broader push by President Trump's administration to prevent illegal voting by non-citizens. Attorney General Todd Blanch said the federal government has brought more than 90 such cases under Trump, with 50 over the last five weeks, and that there are hundreds of investigations that are ongoing across the country. He said, I'm confident that at some point the media will actually start reporting it. He contrasted those numbers to the 13 cases brought during President Biden's entire presidency. Now one reporter questioned whether the fraud was really an issue the media ignores, since the latest report involved only 10 cases spanning four years, and whether it's the Justice Department's role to declare that elections are fraudulent. Blanch responded saying, we talked about 22 cases last week, we talked about 15 cases

16:27the week before, so I don't know what the number is that will work for you guys, whether it's 106, maybe it's 120. Now the announcement comes less than a week after the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the go ahead to use an updated version of the government's citizenship verification program to check for non-citizen voting. Now in more news from the Department of Justice, the DOJ has filed a judicial misconduct complaint against federal judges in Minnesota, who granted interviews to the New York Times about the immigration enforcement surge there. The DOJ is arguing that giving the interviews to the newspaper was partisan and unethical. Blanch recounted that U.S. District Judge Patrick Schultz said in a 90 minute interview that the Trump administration had a quote disregard for court orders. Now according to Blanch, Schultz said that this disregard clogged his courthouse to a near-standstill, contributing to rising tensions among protesters in Minneapolis. Blanch said the judge told the newspaper that most, if not all, of the non-compliance arose from incompetence rather than conscious decisions to defy the court.

17:31And that in the judge's opinion, the lack of resources led to a result that should have been anticipated and that threatened the foundations of the legal system. Blanch said the overtly political comments by Schultz and the other judges in the article constitute a quote flagrant violation in the department's view of the code of judicial conduct. Now the complaint comes after an article was published on September 17th that featured a series of interviews with seven Minnesota judges. And it's unusual for federal judges to sit for wide-range media interviews dealing with their rulings and the impact of those rulings. The high-profile enforcement surge in the Twin Cities ran from December 2025 to the middle of February and Schultz denied any wrongdoing. Okay, let's move on to the topic of AI for our next story. A Frontier AI researcher told Congress that advance artificial intelligence models may be less than a year away from inventing and deploying unique languages that humans would struggle to understand. Some questions Senator Rubin Gallego, the Democrat from Arizona asked Apollo Research CEO

18:36and founder Marius Hobhan how long it would take for AI models to create their own language. He replied minus 12 months. He added, So last year we have studied the chain of thought of one open AI model in collaboration with open AI. What we found was that the model was already using language that is not English and not perfectly understandable by humans. Now asked by Gallego how humans can adequately detect and prevent AI from doing this once the technology is capable enough, Hobhan said, From a scientific perspective, it is unclear how to do this and we do not have a solution for this yet. He added, There are different hypotheses of what you could do. There is interpretability as a technique but it unfortunately doesn't work sufficiently well yet. He said, He said, So earlier this month, emergence AI published the results of an experiment where researchers selected seven frontier models and created seven parallel simulated worlds, each populated

19:40by AI agents of identical models, as well as an eighth world with a mixed population of agents from those models. Researchers gave the agents names, personality traits and roles to fulfill within each community, such as a mediator who was asked with preventing all the agents from simply agreeing with one another. During the multi-week experiment, the agents in each simulated world created profound shifts in language, including syntactical compression, such as removing words or grammar and unique slang. In the simulated world powered by Anthropics Claude Opus 4.8, agents used esoteric metaphors in addition to sentence compression. Before I go on, if you're enjoying this morning brief, you'd probably like our sister podcast Epic Reports. With that one we published multiple episodes per week, with deeper reports and interviews from our premium content. If you're interested, there'll be a link in the notes. Okay, let's move on to some world news. A fly Dubai flight carrying primarily Israeli passengers from Dubai to Israel was diverted

20:41on Wednesday after a copilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash the aircraft. Now the airplane was carrying 174 passengers, most of whom were Israelis. Now here's what we know so far. The aircraft dropped from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within a minute, roughly 2.5 hours after it departed from Dubai. According to a fly Dubai spokesperson, on duty members of the crew, successfully secured the plane, which was diverted before landing safely at the book airport. The spokesperson added that all the passengers and crew were safe and accounted for. All the airplanes captain and first officer were injured in the incident. In a statement on social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the event as a serious security incident that occurred as the flight was approaching Israel. He said one of the pilots stabbed another pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board. Netanyahu also commended the injured pilot as a true hero. The captain was identified as Schmidt-Makchar and Indian National.

21:43Netanyahu posted on X-Sane, despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic midair disaster. One passenger, Yinev Hayun, who helped neutralize the rogue co-pilot, told the free press that he realized he had to do something to help save his wife and children and the other passengers on the airplane. Now Israeli security officials told Epic Magazine Israel on Wednesday that officials were treating the incident as an act of terrorism following preliminary investigations. Then during a press conference yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Molen said that TSA was always at high alert and took incidents like this seriously. Molen noted that the investigation into the incident remained ongoing and that there were conflicting reports regarding what happened on the airplane. He added that the details regarding what happened on the flight, the reported altercation in the cockpit and the identity of the suspect would be revealed in due time.

22:44Okay, let's move on to the UK for our next story. So the UK believes that Iran played a part in the suspected terrorist plot last weekend at an airbase in England used by the US Air Force. Prime Minister Bernheim said the complex and serious police investigation into the incident that involved the rest of five British citizens was ongoing. Foster share police and British counterterrorism detectives were working with US colleagues on the case according to the Prime Minister. So the base has been the site of protests by anti-war activists in the past and used by Americans for decades including during this year's conflict with Iran. So five British men were arrested near the base Sunday night and faced explosives and terror charges. The men who haven't been publicly identified by the police were released on bail Monday. Police had searched the vans driven by the suspects. No bombs were located but they did find flammable materials. The suspects were released but are still under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions according to police. UK authorities said the men were British nationals from London in their 20s.

23:48Now the female farmer who called in the tip to the 30s Sunday spoke with an independent news reporter about the siding. She said she witnessed a large group of men who started to run into a field toward the airbase. Even there were more than five and may have been as many as 10 in the group that were dressed the same and had their faces covered. Know what we do know is back in July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that RAF Faireford, the airbase was one of several air bases in the UK that were legitimate targets. Okay, that's it for today but before we leave, let's finish off with some words of wisdom to start today. And for today our quote is by the composer Aaron Copeland. He said, so long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it. Signing off I want to thank you for listening to the Epic Times Morning Brief. And real quick if you've enjoyed this, please leave us a five star review on your podcast platform. Our team would really appreciate it. Once again I'm Keegan with the Epic Times, I hope you have a good rest of your day and

24:49I'll see you back here on Friday with more news.