Don’t revise just because an AI writing tutor sounds certain. Check each comment against the passage it refers to, your assignment instructions and rubric, and what you intended to say. Keep corrections that are accurate and useful; question or set aside advice that is unsupported, off-task, or changes your meaning. If the feedback is demeaning or affects a grade or academic-integrity decision, involve a human and follow your institution’s process.
Check the feedback before changing your writing
AI feedback can be incorrect or biased; a confident tone is not proof that a comment is right. King’s College London notes that generative AI can produce incorrect responses based on probabilities and biases in its July 2025 guidance on AI-assisted marking and feedback. That is general guidance about generative AI, not a test of every writing tutor.
- Identify the claim. Note the exact comment and find the sentence, paragraph, or assignment requirement it concerns. Work out whether it is claiming a factual or grammatical error, suggesting a style change, or judging your argument.
- Read the passage in context. A sentence can look different when separated from the paragraph around it. Check what the surrounding text is doing and what you meant to communicate.
- Compare it with the prompt and rubric. Ask whether the comment helps meet the actual assignment criteria, rather than a generic idea of “good writing.” University of York guidance recommends checking feedback against the relevant criteria and rubric: Guidance on AI-assisted Marking and Feedback at York.
- Verify claims that can be checked. Confirm a grammar rule or factual assertion with a trusted reference or a qualified human reader. Treat advice about emphasis, evidence, or voice as a suggestion to evaluate, not automatically as a correction.
A practical test is whether the comment points to evidence in your draft, is accurate, fits the rubric, and improves clarity without changing your intended meaning or voice. If it fails one of those checks, you do not have to accept it.
Ask for a specific explanation, not a rewrite
If you cannot tell what the tutor means, ask it to justify the comment in a narrow, checkable way. For example:
Point to the sentence that supports this comment and explain which rubric criterion it relates to. Do not rewrite my paragraph; list the issue and one possible way I could address it.
You can also ask for an itemized list of grammatical issues rather than a revised paragraph. The University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre recommends limiting the task when using text-generating AI for writing and revision: Using Text-Generating Artificial Intelligence (GenAI).
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Use the explanation to make your own decision. A proposed change that smooths a sentence may still distort your emphasis, evidence, or voice; keep control of the final wording.
Separate a harsh tone from any useful point
A blunt or dismissive comment can feel like a judgment of you rather than of a draft. Try to separate its delivery from any concrete observation you can verify. If the comment is insulting, vague, or confusing even after you ask for clarification, show the relevant feedback, draft passage, and rubric to a teacher, tutor, or writing-center advisor.
The University of Denver’s University Writing Program calls for generous feedback that recognizes diverse voices and warns that overly critical feedback may affect multilingual writers. That is a caution in its guidance, not a quantified finding: Statement on Generative AI and Writing. Denver also cautions against relying on AI-detection applications. A detector is not a sound way to establish who wrote a comment or draft.
Check privacy and course rules before sharing work
Course and institutional policies differ. Before pasting a draft into a tool, check whether your instructor permits it, whether the tool is institutionally approved, and what material you are allowed to share. Do not upload classmates’ work or restricted course materials without permission.
For example, Stanford’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric says students should not upload course materials or classmates’ work without the lecturer’s explicit approval in its PWR GenAI Policy FAQs. That is Stanford’s policy example, not a rule that applies at every institution.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Take grading or misconduct concerns to a human reviewer
If feedback has affected a mark or is being used to raise an academic-integrity concern, save the comments and relevant draft history, then promptly ask the instructor or responsible office which review or appeal process applies. Deadlines and routes vary by institution, so consult your current local policy.
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For Turnitin’s AI-writing indicator specifically, Turnitin says the percentage is a starting point for conversation, not a misconduct decision; the final decision rests with the instructor or reviewer. See What should I do if the AI writing percentage is high?. This statement concerns Turnitin’s indicator and should not be treated as a universal institutional procedure.
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