My essay got flagged because I used ChatGPT to explain concepts I didn't understand
I need help understanding where the line is between using AI legitimately and getting flagged for AI-generated content. Here's what happened.
I had a philosophy paper on existentialism and I genuinely didn't understand some of the core concepts. So I asked ChatGPT to explain Nietzsche's concept of the Ubermensch and Sartre's idea of radical freedom. I didn't copy any of its text. I just read the explanation until it clicked, then I wrote my own interpretation in my own words.
Turnitin came back with 26% AI.
I know that's not a high number, but it's enough that my professor wanted to have a conversation with me about it. I told her honestly that I used AI as a study tool to understand the material before writing. She said that technically isn't a violation, but she made me rewrite a section of the paper to prove I understood the concepts without AI assistance.
I felt like I passed a test I shouldn't have had to take. I understand that asking AI to explain something is different from asking AI to write for you. One is using it like a tutor, the other is using it like a ghostwriter. But Turnitin doesn't seem to distinguish between the two. Has anyone else been in this position? Where do you draw the line on using AI to learn versus using AI to produce? And has anyone figured out how to explain this distinction to professors who just see the percentage?