Key takeaways
- AI reports highlight specific passages—always review them individually, not just the headline score.
- Compare flagged sections against your drafting history before accepting or disputing a flag.
- Different tools on the same document often produce different scores.
Receiving an AI detection report—whether from Turnitin, GPTZero, or your institution's platform—can be confusing if you do not know what the numbers and highlights mean. This guide walks through every element of a typical report and the steps to take after reading it.
The headline AI percentage
The overall AI writing percentage represents the proportion of your document classified as likely AI-generated. It is not a plagiarism score and not a misconduct verdict. Context—your institution's threshold, the specific passages flagged, and your drafting evidence—determines whether action is needed.
Passage-level highlights
Every reputable report highlights specific sentences or paragraphs. Click each one. Ask: did I write this? Did I use AI assistance here? Is this a properly cited quotation? Passage-level review is far more informative than the headline number.
Turnitin AI report elements
- AI writing percentage displayed separately from similarity score.
- Blue or purple highlighting on flagged sentences.
- Ability to exclude quotes and bibliography from AI analysis.
- Segment-level detail accessible by clicking highlighted text.
GPTZero report elements
- Document-level AI probability score.
- Sentence-level highlighting with perplexity scores.
- Burstiness metric for the full document.
- Warning on short documents that scores may be unreliable.
What to do if you agree with the flag
If flagged passages reflect AI use you did not disclose, speak to your supervisor immediately. Proactive disclosure and offer to rewrite may reduce penalties. Do not submit a revised version without informing your instructor.
What to do if you disagree with the flag
- 1Gather drafting evidence: version history, research notes, earlier assignments showing your voice.
- 2Request a meeting with your supervisor or integrity office.
- 3Ask which tool was used and whether human review has occurred.
- 4Offer to rewrite flagged passages in a supervised setting if needed.
- 5File a formal appeal if the institution proceeds without reviewing your evidence.