You cannot tell for sure whether an essay contains AI-generated text just by reading it. If it is your essay, start with how you wrote it. Check which tools you used, which edits you accepted and whether you kept any generated text. An AI detector can offer another assessment, but its score cannot prove who wrote the essay.
Before you submit, ask two questions: did AI help with the work, and did that help follow the assignment rules? A low detector score does not answer the second question.
Start with how you wrote the essay
Look at your notes, outline, earlier drafts and any tool conversations you still have. Think through the steps you took:
- Did you develop the argument and write the paragraphs yourself?
- Did a tool suggest a structure, translate text or rewrite sentences?
- Did you keep any generated wording, examples or references?
- Can you explain the claims and link them to sources you have read?
Record what actually happened. Missing drafts do not prove AI use. Do not invent records to fill a gap.
Check the rules for this assignment
Read the instructions on AI use and any required statement about it. A tool allowed for one task may not be allowed for another. If the rule is unclear, ask your teacher about the exact feature you used.
For example, Oxford's student guidance tells students to follow the written AI-use rules for each assessment. Follow your own institution's requirements for your essay.
Use a detector if it helps your review
If you have permission to share the text with a service, you can check a passage with AIScan. Guests get two daily scans of 50 to 2,000 characters. The text tool accepts pasted text, TXT and Markdown. It does not directly accept Word or PDF files.
Choose a passage that makes sense on its own. Note where it appears in the full essay. If you copy from a document, check that the words and paragraph breaks are correct. See the pricing page for longer text limits.
Read a flag in context
Read any highlighted passage with the sentences around it. Check quotations, references and what the paragraph says. A score is not a verified percentage of AI-written words. Human writing can be flagged, and generated writing can get a low result. The accuracy guide explains these limits.
Here are three fictional examples. They show decisions to make, not measured detector results:
- A student wrote the essay without generated text but got a high score. The score alone does not prove AI use. Their draft and writing process still matter.
- A student kept a generated paragraph but got a low score. They still need to follow the assignment rules and acknowledge help where required.
- A student accepted spelling corrections. That alone does not show the essay was generated. They still need to check which features were allowed and what to declare.
Check the essay before you submit
Make sure you understand the argument, have checked the sources and have included any required AI-use statement. Keep the submitted version and the records you already have. Avoid rewriting the essay over and over just to get a lower score.
For help explaining permitted AI use, read how to acknowledge AI assistance. If a teacher has already raised a concern, read what to do when your writing is flagged.