Does University of Cambridge use AI detection? No
Short answer
No. University of Cambridge does not run AI detection on submissions, so no AI score is generated for your work.
Module rules on permitted AI use still apply either way, and a detector score is never the whole case — the university’s own statement and what it means for you are below.
What University of Cambridge has said
Detection discouraged (general). FAQ states the university "does not encourage the use of AI detection software", citing proven inaccuracies; assessment guidance recommends not relying on it as evidence. The October 2025 Turnitin Usage Policy does not mention AI detection at all.
Sources (FAQ: no date; policy Oct 2025): Blended learning FAQ · Assessment guidance
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What this means if you study here
Cambridge's position comes in two documents: an FAQ stating the university 'does not encourage the use of AI detection software', citing proven inaccuracies, and an October 2025 Turnitin Usage Policy that does not mention AI detection at all — the similarity service is governed in detail; the AI indicator simply isn't part of the framework.
Cambridge's supervision system means your work is discussed with someone who knows your writing week to week — which is both the university's real detection mechanism and your best protection. Keep supervision essays and drafts; they document your voice over time.
Turnitin at University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge says AI-detection tools are not relied on, so a Turnitin AI score should not decide anything about your work here. Similarity checking is a separate feature and remains the sector norm — assume source matching still runs on submissions.
How the AI writing report behaves wherever it is enabled — the 300-word minimum, the 1–19% asterisk band, and why the score is never proof on its own — is covered in does Turnitin detect AI?
Before you submit, anywhere
- Policies change and are re-verified here quarterly — the university’s linked statement above is always the authority, and your module brief overrides everything.
- Whatever the institutional toggle, keep your drafts and version history: process evidence decides disputes, not scores.
- No third-party tool predicts a Turnitin result — here is why. Use checks to understand your own writing, not to chase a number.
Check your own work
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A free sentence-level preview shows which passages carry AI-like signals — your text is analysed, then discarded. Your first full scan is free with an account.