Meet TrueMark: Designed to support and not shortcut learning, TrueMark is an AI-guided writing and feedback platform that helps students grow their confidence and skills while empowering teachers with transparency over the learning process. With TrueMark, educators set boundaries for AI use and gain real-time insight into student progress. Its AI doesn’t give answers; instead, it prompts students with guiding questions that encourage deeper thinking and reflection. Today, teachers across K–12 and higher education use TrueMark to promote critical thinking, save time on grading, and bring structure to AI in the classroom.
Our conversation with co-founders Will Riley and Shelley Jain explores how TrueMark is helping teachers regain confidence that they are assessing authentic student work.
What inspired you to start TrueMark, and what problem are you hoping to solve?
Will: I heard from my former English teacher here in New York, he no longer knew how to teach English because of ChatGPT. He said students were no longer writing on their own. He and his colleagues tried to find ways to persuade students to avoid relying on ChatGPT. This made me reflect on my own education, mostly on how important reflection and deep thinking were to my growth as a student. I feared that future students might lose those opportunities because of AI. That’s what sparked the desire to create a solution that preserves meaningful learning despite the rise of AI tools. That’s where the idea for TrueMark began. AI is disrupting traditional assignments like essays and research papers. It can now complete these tasks in less than a minute. This makes it difficult for teachers to assess whether students truly understand the material. TrueMark is designed to solve these new challenges in education. Our goal is to help teachers identify the right balance: using AI to enhance learning while still maintaining academic integrity. We want to shift teachers from a defensive posture to a position of empowerment, where AI becomes a trusted teaching ally, not a threat.
How does TrueMark incorporate AI to solve the misuse of AI by students?
Shelley: TrueMark uses AI to guide students through the learning process rather than simply giving them answers. This approach encourages critical thinking and reduces the temptation to misuse tools like ChatGPT. We allow teachers to scaffold assignments by structuring tasks exactly how they want students to complete them. Students can then check their work against the teacher’s rubric before submitting, making revision and improvement an intentional part of the learning process. With our progress tracker, teachers can see how students interact with TrueMark AI, offering valuable insights into learning behaviors and helping them better understand student needs. 
One feature we’re especially proud of is TrueMark’s Socratic AI. Instead of providing direct answers, it responds with thoughtful questions that encourage deeper reflection. This approach makes a real difference. We’ve heard from teachers that students no longer feel motivated to cheat. Instead, they’re engaged because they have tools that guide them to think critically and find answers on their own.
What sets your solution apart from the competition?
Shelley: We take a balanced approach to both prevent AI misuse and support meaningful use. Unlike tools that only focus on catching plagiarism or simply enabling AI use, TrueMark does both. Features like lockdown mode and disabling copy/pasting ensure students can’t misuse AI, while still gaining real value from it. TrueMark also builds seamlessly upon a teacher’s existing resources and workflow, making it easy to adopt without requiring a complete lesson redesign.
Will: Adding to that, one of TrueMark’s biggest strengths is its customizable integration. It gives teachers more control and flexibility over how AI is used in their own assignments, unlike other tools that require constant AI involvement with little room for adjustment. For example, teachers can set limits on how many AI chats students can have or define the type of support the AI provides. This allows teachers to be more intentional with how they use AI in the classroom. In contrast, many tools offer an “all or nothing” experience; you either use AI throughout, or not at all, with no way to tailor it to your needs.
From the early days of building your product, you have been closely collaborating with teachers. In your opinion, what is the most powerful thing about AI that teachers tend to ignore, and why?
Will: Many teachers don’t fully see AI’s potential to support deeper learning because they’re focused on preventing students from misusing it. But with time and support, teachers can build AI literacy and grow more confident in their abilities to utilize the technology effectively. That confidence will allow them to design more meaningful, challenging assignments, even for younger students. What we’ve noticed is that many teachers recognize the power of AI, but instead of exploring how to use it responsibly, they fall back on traditional methods. They need time, trust, and the right tools to feel comfortable experimenting with AI in their classrooms. When used ethically and intentionally, AI can help students engage with more complex ideas. TrueMark aims to create a flexible, safe space where teachers can start small and gradually build more innovative practices.
Shelley: I also think AI literacy is something society as a whole needs. We’re only beginning to understand how AI affects critical thinking, and it’s important to strike the right balance in how we use it. A lot of teachers are rightfully cautious about bringing AI into their classrooms. As teachers gradually test and reflect, they can determine the right role AI should play in the classroom. They can ensure students still build essential skills while benefiting from unprecedented personalized support. TrueMark gives teachers the space to explore and adapt at their own pace.
Looking ahead, what’s TrueMark’s long-term vision for the role of AI in education as a teaching copilot?
Will: TrueMark’s long-term vision is to build a controlled, research-backed environment where AI can act as a trusted teaching tool that is enhancing, not replacing, student learning. A key part of that vision is giving teachers full control over how and when AI is used in their classrooms. Students shouldn’t be left to use AI without structure. There’s growing evidence that AI without limits can negatively affect how students think and learn. That’s why TrueMark is focused on designing AI features that promote critical thinking rather than doing the thinking for students. When used responsibly in this way, AI has the power to make education more equitable by offering personalized support and feedback to every student, at scale.
Learn more at TrueMark’s website here.