A Turnitin AI writing flag comes from the AI Writing Report. The report estimates how much of a submission’s eligible prose its model identifies as likely AI-generated. In English, the report can also flag likely AI-generated prose that appears to have been altered by another AI tool. A separate Similarity score measures matching text. Turnitin’s guide to the AI Writing Report
Start by asking which report you are seeing. Compare any passage under review with your submitted file and notes.
Read the report in order
- Name the report
- Confirm whether you are looking at Similarity or AI Writing.
- Read the indicator
- An asterisk, a number and an unavailable report are different states.
- Check the work
- Match the passage to the submitted file, source notes and assignment instructions.
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What the indicator means
Turnitin describes eligible text as sentences in longer passages of prose, such as an essay or report. The AI percentage uses that eligible prose as its denominator. A paper can contain headings, tables and references as well as prose, so counting every word of the full document gives you a different total. The product’s AI report has its own file requirements. Turnitin’s definitions and file requirements
The states below refer to Turnitin’s current AI Writing Report. If you see a number from 1% to 19%, check when the report was generated. Reports generated before July 8, 2024 may still display those numbers.
Scroll to see all columns
| Indicator | What you can tell | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | The report processed and identified no qualifying text as likely AI-written. | The report covers eligible prose. Follow the same submission and disclosure rules for the rest of the work. |
Asterisk shown as *% |
An estimate above 0% and below 20% falls in the range where Turnitin withholds the number and highlights. | Use the school’s review process. The asterisk gives no exact percentage or passage to look up. |
| 20% to 100% | The number estimates the share of eligible prose the model flagged as likely AI-generated. The report may highlight those passages. | Open the breakdown if you have access and ask which passages are relevant to the review. |
| Loading, error or missing report | There may be a processing, file or access issue. | Check the displayed status or ask your instructor whether an AI report was generated. |
AI writing and Similarity measure different things
Imagine a correctly quoted paragraph. Its exact words may match a source in Similarity. The AI Writing Report separately estimates how much eligible prose the model flagged as likely AI-generated. A teacher may review how the paragraph was cited, who wrote the surrounding analysis and which assistance the assignment allowed. Those are three different questions.
Turnitin describes the indicator as one part of a review. The product can misidentify human and AI-written prose. Use the school’s instructions and human review to understand what the flag means for your submission. Turnitin guidance for reviewing the report
What to do if your work was flagged
- Find the submitted version. Keep the original file, submission receipt and feedback together. A later draft may have different words or page numbers.
- Ask for the relevant detail. Request the report name, date and passages under review if you cannot see them. Your institution controls student access.
- Check your own evidence. Look for notes, outlines and saved drafts that show how the argument developed. Match direct quotations to the original and keep the context that explains why you included them.
- Explain how you wrote the submission. Follow the academic review process. Describe which work you did, what tools you used and what the brief allowed.
A message you can adapt
Could you confirm whether the feedback refers to the AI Writing Report or Similarity, and share the passages being reviewed if available? I can provide my submitted version, notes and dated drafts to explain how I wrote the section.
Read a short example
An instructor notes an AI writing asterisk beside an essay and also shares a Similarity Report. The asterisk gives no exact AI percentage or flagged sentence. From Similarity you can investigate individual source matches. Ask your instructor which evidence they want to discuss and start with the submitted file.
If the question is what your assignment permitted in the first place, use the module brief and your university’s AI policy. The guide to the Office for Students announcement explains how to find the rule that applies to one submission.