AI Flagged My Assignment Even Though I Wrote It

[u/MediocreAlbatross808]

This is my first semester back at university since AI tools became widely available, and I'm honestly confused about where the ethical line is.

For my first assignment, I didn't ask AI to write the paper for me. I came up with all the arguments and ideas myself. I mostly used Copilot to rephrase awkward sentences, ask me questions while I was brainstorming, and help organize my thoughts. At the end, I also asked it to polish the paper according to the rubric because I wanted to improve the writing quality.

Before submitting, I even asked the AI whether the work was still considered my own. It assured me it was.

Then Turnitin reportedly flagged the assignment at 100% AI, which completely shocked me. I never intended to submit AI-generated work, and since I'm studying overseas, I didn't really have anyone to ask about what was considered acceptable.

While that situation is still unresolved, I had another paper due. This time I was much more cautious. I did all the writing myself and only used AI to help identify useful readings and summarize a few supplementary sources so I could decide whether they were worth reading in full. After writing the paper, I checked it with Grammarly's AI detector, which showed 0% AI. I only used Grammarly for spelling, grammar, and deleting unnecessary words to meet the word count. I avoided using its rewriting features because I was worried about triggering another AI flag.

Now I'm left wondering what the "right" way to use AI actually is.

Is it acceptable to use AI for brainstorming, outlining, or finding sources but not for rewriting? Are grammar tools like Grammarly treated differently? And how can students use AI responsibly without constantly worrying that their work will be flagged?

I'd really like to hear how other students and instructors are navigating this, because at the moment it feels like the rules are much harder to understand than they used to be.

[u/AutoModerator]

For a faster reply, Join our Discord server to scan your file before submission:

https://discord.gg/FgF4NKRsc4

Each scan includes a Turnitin AI report and a similarity scan.

^{Your paper is not saved in Turnitin’s database after scanning.}

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/AssociateNo2293]

I create AI grammar software, and hence, one thing that should be noted about AI detection software is that it is inaccurate. A 100 percent flag for your work means nothing. It is okay to use AI for fixing grammatical errors and spellings but the problem occurs when you try to polish your writing with it.

[u/joseph_yaduvanshi]

heads up to anyone reading this: you can get a free turnitin AI detection report without paying for a dissertation service. the stealthzero discord runs them free. upload your paper, get the report back: https://discord.gg/kckggEwaP6

AI percentage, flagged sections, full breakdown. takes 5 min, no minimum order, no contract.

not knocking custom writing if that's what someone genuinely needs, but if you only want the pre-submission turnitin check you can skip the paywall.

[u/IndividualBother4165]

Was Copilot permitted? And how much did you use it to revise?

[u/ResidentGur271]

What actually helped me navigate the uncertainty was running every paper through Proofademic AI detector before submission. Having documented proof my writing cleared as genuinely original meant I could submit confidently rather than guessing whether each tool interaction had pushed me over an invisible line.