Six student essay extracts. Three are real GCSE and A-Level student work. Three were generated by ChatGPT in seconds. Can your students tell the difference?

A free interactive HTML investigation game from Skillspire. Designed for the AI literacy challenge teachers are actually facing right now — students who can’t always tell when a peer’s homework was written by a chatbot, and need to learn to spot the signs.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• 6 essay extracts across 5 subjects (English Literature, English Language, History, Psychology, Biology, Geography)
• Mixed key stages — KS3, KS4 and KS5
• Click to reveal the verdict, plus a “Detective’s Notes” breakdown of the specific tells in each piece
• Final score and Detective Rating (Rookie → Master Detective)
• Single HTML file. Works offline. No login. No catch.

HOW TO USE IT

• Project on the board for whole-class form time (15 minutes)
• Set as a starter or plenary in PSHE, Computing, English, or any AI literacy lesson
• Use as an independent task on student devices
• Spark genuine conversations about academic integrity, AI tools and critical thinking

WHY ESSAYS?

The ability to spot AI-generated writing is one of the most useful 21st-century skills you can teach. Students who can recognise the patterns of AI text are:

• Better at spotting when peers are using chatbots dishonestly
• More critical of online content generally
• Less likely to fall for AI-generated misinformation
• Better at writing in their own authentic voice

Each “Detective’s Notes” reveal gives concrete, transferable tells students can apply in any context — not just essays.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Single HTML file. Open it in any browser. No installation, no login, no internet required after first load. Works on Chromebooks, iPads, school laptops, IWBs and projectors. Best viewed full-screen.

COMING SOON

This is the FREE Essay Edition — one of six rounds in the full AI Detective game.

The complete AI Detective: Spot the AI experience launches on Skillspire shortly and includes:

• Round 01 — Text Detective (opinion columns, blog posts, texts, reviews)
• Round 02 — Image Detective (AI image artefacts and tells)
• Round 03 — Conversation Detective (chatbot vs real DMs)
• Round 04 — Essay Detective ✓ (you have this one already)
• Round 05 — Photo Forensics (six classic AI image tells)
• Round 06 — The Twist Round (the hardest — real things that look fake, fake things that look real)

PLUS three game modes built in (Solo / Whole-Class Reveal / Team Battle), a teacher control panel, and 33 exhibits in total.

ABOUT SKILLSPIRE

Skillspire creates interactive HTML resources that work first time, every time. No tech setup, no login, no hassle. If you find this useful, please consider leaving a review - it genuinely helps other teachers find resources like this.

skillspire.tes@gmail.com