Turnitin AI Detection Report: What It Shows and How to Read It
The Turnitin AI detection report, officially the AI Writing Report, estimates how much of a paper was likely produced by generative AI. It is a separate document from the similarity report, it is usually visible to instructors only, and it is read very differently. Here is what it contains, using a real 51% sample.
A real Turnitin AI detection report
The right-hand report below is a complete AI writing report: 26 pages, 51% detected as AI. The similarity report for the same paper scored just 1%.
Screenshots shown for illustration. Your own reports arrive as full PDFs in your dashboard.
What the AI detection report contains
1. The AI percentage
The headline figure, such as "51% detected as AI", is the share of qualifying text Turnitin considers likely AI-generated. Qualifying text means long-form prose in sentences and paragraphs. Bullet points, tables, headings and reference lists are not scored, so the percentage is not a share of your whole file.
2. Detection groups
- AI-generated only: text likely written by a large language model.
- AI-generated text that was AI-paraphrased: text likely written by AI and then run through a paraphraser, word spinner or "humaniser". This group works on English only.
3. Highlights
The report reproduces the paper with flagged sentences highlighted: cyan for AI-generated text and purple for AI-paraphrased text.
4. The asterisk
Scores from 1% to 19% appear as *%, with no highlights, because Turnitin considers low scores less reliable.
5. The disclaimer
Every report states the model may produce false positives and should not be the sole basis for action against a student.
Requirements for an AI score
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum length | 300 words of long-form prose |
| Maximum length | 30,000 words |
| File types | .docx, .pdf, .txt, .rtf |
| Languages | English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, German, Dutch, Turkish |
How instructors use it
Policies vary widely. Some universities, including Vanderbilt, Waterloo, Curtin and the University of Cape Town, have switched the detector off. Others use it as a prompt for a conversation, asking for drafts or discussing the work. Very few treat the score alone as proof. Country-by-country detail is in our guides for the US, UK, Australia and South Africa.
What raises an AI score
- Generic, evenly paced sentences with predictable transitions.
- Text rewritten by AI grammar or paraphrasing tools.
- Machine-translated sections.
- Summaries that list points without your own analysis.
See which of your paragraphs are flagged before your instructor does, then revise them in your own voice.
AI score too high? Humanize it to 0%
If your Turnitin AI writing report flags your paper, you can rewrite the highlighted sentences yourself, use a humanizer, or let our editors do it by hand. Since August 2025 Turnitin also detects text run through AI humanizer tools, so check which approach still works: best AI humanizer for Turnitin, can Turnitin detect humanizers? and how to get 0% AI on Turnitin.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Turnitin AI detection report show?
An overall percentage of qualifying text likely written by AI, detection groups, and the document with flagged sentences highlighted.
Can students see the Turnitin AI detection report?
In most institutions, no. It is normally available to instructors only.
What is the minimum length for an AI score?
At least 300 words of long-form prose, up to 30,000 words, in .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf format.