The AI Incident Protocol: What to Do When You Suspect a Student Used AI
Not sure if a student used AI? Answer a few questions about what you noticed and walk away with the right next step — and a documented record you can act on.
The Quick Answer (AEO Summary)
What do you do when you suspect a student used AI? Don't reach for a detector — reach for a process. The AI Incident Protocol walks you through what you actually noticed, what evidence you have, and how confident you are, then matches your situation to one of three responses: start with a conversation, ask to see their process before escalating, or escalate through your school's process for repeat concerns. You finish with a dated, written record of the incident and a recommendation you can stand behind — no detector score required.
Try the Protocol
Work through your situation now
The tool below takes about two minutes. Answer what applies, then see your recommendation. Nothing you type is sent anywhere — the summary stays in your browser.
Why a Protocol Beats a Detector
A detector gives you a probability. A protocol gives you a path.
AI detectors are biased and unreliable — they flag the wrong students and never tell you what to do next. The Incident Protocol replaces a guess with a judgment: it asks you to be specific about what changed, what evidence you have, and how confident you really are, then routes you to the response that fits. The result is a documented, defensible next step instead of a probability score.
The protocol is built around three tiers — a conversation for low-confidence first reads, a process check (drafts, revision history) when you're fairly confident, and an escalation when it's a repeat concern. Every path leaves you with a record you can hand to an administrator, a parent, or yourself next time.
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