The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents new challenges and opportunities in education, particularly in assessing students’ writing. This study examines the ability of pedagogy students to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated essays. Through an experimental approach, participants evaluated a set of texts, identifying key linguistic and structural features that signaled AI involvement. The findings provide insights into students’ accuracy in recognizing AI-generated content and the implications for academic integrity, assessment methods, and the role of AI literacy in teacher training. The study highlights the need for adapting pedagogical strategies to the evolving landscape of digital writing technologies.