PowerNotes, a provider of tools that assist students and professionals in producing high-quality research quickly and efficiently, has introduced Composer, an advanced web-based word processor, to its PowerNotes+ platform. The new tool offers a semi-proctored atmosphere for conducting research and writing in an AI-enabled setting.
PowerNotes+ is a reading, research, and writing platform that helps educators and institutions have control and confidence using artificial intelligence (AI)—and addresses questions of intellectual integrity using transparency and evidence, not suspicion. Composer is a new tool that allows PowerNotes+ users to see the complete picture of writers’ research and writing, from AI-assisted text to outside sources to original thoughts, all colour-coded for easy identification.
Composer allows users to reduce the inappropriate use of AI and get better clarity in their research and writing work, thereby assisting them in applying AI with integrity and effectiveness. It offers the following features:
- The ability to write within PowerNotes+, providing proof-of-work from initial research to final assignment;
- A familiar interface similar to Microsoft Word and Google Docs;
- The ability to drag and drop research from outline to paper, including the citation;
- Timestamps and version history of work;
- The ability for educators or managers to give feedback in real-time;
- The option for educators and system administrators to turn specific AI tools off; and
- AI integrations that can fact-check, suggest ideas, and review grammar provides tools to use AI in an ethically responsible way.
Commenting on the development, Wilson Tsu, Founder of PowerNotes, said:
At PowerNotes, we believe that AI can be a powerful tool to supercharge research and writing. We do understand, however, that educators and companies have legitimate concerns about the ethical use of AI tools. That’s why, even as we launch Composer to provide real-world solutions to those challenges, we are partnering with educational institutions and organizations on our AI Unity initiative to broaden the coalition dedicated to using AI safely and ethically.
Composer enhances source-based writing for students and researchers who utilize various research, note-taking, and writing tools such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Incorporating source monitoring and citation management into the research and writing process allows writers to focus on higher-level tasks like subject matter analysis and idea synthesis. The tool allows teachers to create assignments and then closely observe the entire process their students follow, from gathering information to writing and revising.
PowerNotes developed Composer in response to feedback from educators seeking a word processor that could safeguard academic integrity as AI is integrated into existing Microsoft and Google products. It is nearly impossible for one machine to tell whether another created a writing piece. Therefore, the platform takes a new approach, making it easier to employ AI responsibly. For example, if AI is integrated and research content is saved in PowerNotes, Composer will indicate that copying and pasting information from another source is minimal.
PowerNotes, which includes features such as auto-citation, note-taking, library integration, AI usage management, and copy-paste detection, is used by writers and researchers of all ages, from elementary schoolers to PhD students and professionals. More than 160 academic institutions around the US are using the portal, with some college instructors building their courses around the PowerNotes approach, which emphasizes meaningful and transparent student interaction throughout the reading, research, analysis, and writing processes.
