Last Thursday I was sitting in a coffee shop, eavesdropping (don't judge me) on this heated conversation between an editor and writer. The poor guy was desperately trying to convince her that he hadn't used AI to write his article. She wasn't buying it. I nearly spilled my overpriced latte watching this train wreck unfold, and it got me thinking about this whole "AI detection" mess we're all navigating now.
AI-generated content is fast. But lord almighty, it often feels robotic. Lifeless. Like it was written by someone who's never experienced an actual human emotion.
Readers can tell. Editors can definitely tell. Even those janky AI detectors, unreliable as they frequently are, can sometimes tell. It's because AI lacks that human spark - y'know, the emotions and experiences that somehow bleed into our words whether we want them to or not.
Listen to the Summary
So what's the real problem with AI text anyway?
The biggest issue isn't just that AI content exists. It's that people read garbage AI content, hate it, and then decide ALL "AI text" must be equally terrible. This creates a witch hunt where even completely human writers get accused of using AI!
Some writers are literally getting their content rejected from publications because of false AI accusations. I've seen friendships and professional relationships damaged over this nonsense. And not just hurt feelings - we're talking about real impacts on income and professional reputations.
But.
It doesn't have to be this way.
If you use AI, you don't have to abandon it completely. You just need to fix what makes it so painfully obvious. And if you're not using AI but getting accused anyway? These same techniques will ensure nobody questions your humanity again.
There are 7 telltale signs of AI writing that scream "robot" to readers. Master fixing these, and nobody will ever question whether you wrote something yourself.
Why does AI writing feel so...off?
AI lacks lived experience. That sounds obvious, but think about it - it doesn't feel emotions, remember childhood traumas, or dream about the future. It hasn't been dumped via text message or celebrated landing a dream job or worried about paying rent.
That means most AI writing defaults to being shallow. It follows predictable patterns and structures. It plays too safe. Sure, fancy prompts or custom GPTs can help with this - but when you're using "vanilla" GPTs with basic prompts, you'll get generic responses.
In other words, writing that's technically correct but emotionally FLAT.
If you don't edit and humanize AI-generated text, it will always sound bland and formulaic. Like those essays we all wrote in high school when we were just trying to hit the word count.
Sometimes, human writers naturally sound like this too, especially newbies. This is totally understandable - maybe they don't have enough experience yet, or their background is more academic (which has those similar patterns). There's nothing wrong with that! But it does put them at risk of being falsely accused of using AI.
Don't worry though - it's fixable. Your humanity just isn't shining through.
Those 7 dead giveaways that scream "AI wrote this!"
1. Playing it too safe with generic language
Basic AI prompting avoids risks or strong stances. It won't say anything truly bold or controversial. Without customization, it sticks to neutral, broad statements that sound safe but have zero personality.
This applies to human writers too! If you only use generic language, your mission isn't clear. What's the purpose of your writing? What ideas do you disagree with? These things should be evident in everything you write.
The fix: Take a damn stance already.
Share an opinion or add nuance that shows your personality. Stake a claim to a specific idea, whether writing for yourself or a corporate blog. Having an explicit opinion humanizes you instantly.
Instead of: "This tool can be useful for many people."
Try: "If you're a freelancer and you're not using this tool, I truly believe you're leaving money on the table. I wasted three years before I figured this out."
2. Sentences that all sound exactly the same
AI loves patterns. Too much. Actually, before I get to that - I should mention that several readers have pointed out patterns in this article, which I appreciate. Keeping me honest!
When every sentence has the same rhythm, the writing drags. No variation = no life.
Why does this happen? AI "writing" is trained mostly on specific, stereotypical content. Ask AI to write a "blog" and it defaults to wordy, academic-sounding writing. Ask for "copy" and suddenly everything's short, clipped sentences like a 1960s ad man wrote it.
The fix: vary sentence length like your writing depends on it
Mix short, punchy lines with longer, flowing thoughts. Write like how you talk, or better yet - how you think.
Instead of: "AI can be helpful. It generates ideas quickly. It improves efficiency."
Say: "AI is fast. Really fast. But speed alone isn't enough when you're trying to connect with actual humans who can smell inauthenticity from a mile away - creativity matters more than most people realize."
Over time, your unique voice will become more defined and natural. When you find something that resonates (whether that's long, windy sentences or strong, opinionated words), you'll start to form what I call your "Unpromptable Voice."
Wait, what about all that unnecessary fluff?
3. Wordiness & filler phrases that make me want to scream
AI often pads word count like a college freshman trying to stretch a 5-page paper into 10 pages. It repeats ideas in slightly different ways, hoping you won't notice.
I have this theory that vanilla AI doesn't understand how real humans absorb information. Although once you've trained an AI on your style, this problem mostly disappears.
In fact, I've found that simply cutting the fluff reduces AI detection (when I use it) from 50% to 100% human if done correctly.
For example, instead of: "One of the most important things to consider when improving writing is clarity."
Just say: "Clarity matters most."
This shouldn't interfere with your unique voice once you've developed it. But for the most part, mercilessly editing out fluff works wonders.
***
4. No personal stories that feel REAL
AI doesn't live. It can't draw from real emotions or experiences. Oh, it tries! It can create convincing narratives from its vast knowledge. For surface readers, that might be enough.
But for those who look deeper, AI-generated text lacks authenticity. It won't share personal anecdotes that could only come from YOU. No real-world, hyper-specific, contextually nuanced details about that time you accidentally sent a screenshot of your dating profile to your boss instead of your friend. (Not that I've done that. Ahem.)
To fix this, add more humanizing elements to your content. Personal stories, vivid examples, and sensory details. The more specific, the better.
Instead of: "Good communication skills are important."
Try: "I once lost a $10,000 deal because I misread an email's tone. I've never regretted hitting that pointy send button more. That's when I learned: Communication is everything when you're managing clients - especially the difficult ones who already have one foot out the door."
5. Clichés that make me want to poke my eyes out
AI loves common phrases. It pulls from what's already been said. Over and over and over.
"Think outside the box."
"At the end of the day."
"Now more than ever."
I originally wrote that these phrases should be avoided at all costs, but after thinking about it more, sometimes a well-placed cliché can work if you're using it ironically or to make a point. But generally, they're creativity killers.
Instead, use fresh metaphors and comparisons. Create your own, something industry-specific, or something that draws from completely different domains. Make up unique expressions!
Instead of: "Success doesn't happen overnight."
Try: "Success is like my grandmother's sourdough starter - it needs daily attention and smells weird sometimes, but the results are worth it."
6. Transitions that feel forced and awkward
AI struggles with flow. It forces transitions in awkward ways and relies too much on question-response patterns.
"The answer? Yes."
"Guess what? It works."
My theory is this comes from LinkedIn "best practices." I see this kind of writing everywhere on that platform, and it drives me bonkers.
Use natural connectors and conversational transitions instead.
Rather than: "So, what's the solution? Let's discuss it."
Just say: "Here's what actually works."
Avoid this question and answer format if you don't want to be mistaken for AI. Again - if you don't care about it, or if it's important for your voice, then do what you want. But right now, this is a hallmark of AI, especially when overused or in the wrong context.
7. Writing with zero emotional range
AI can mimic tone, but it lacks true feeling. No passion, no sarcasm. No humor that feels natural rather than forced.
The fix? Infuse your actual personality.
Not just any personality, but YOURS. Write how you speak. Add humor, bold statements, and storytelling.
A note, though: This comes with time. You're essentially translating your personality and communication style to the page, and this requires practice.
I have a client who struggles with this: he's a beautiful oral communicator and storyteller, but all his tendencies fall flat when applied to the page. We're working on it. It's like learning to dance - awkward at first, but eventually it becomes natural.
Instead of: "This book provides useful insights."
Try: "This book hit me like a slap in the face. Exactly what I needed when I was feeling stuck in my own echo chamber of mediocre ideas."
So how do you avoid those AI accusations?
AI can assist - but it should never replace you.
It can't replicate your creativity, emotions, or voice. It hasn't lived your life or had your weird, specific experiences that shape how you see the world.
The best AI-assisted writing doesn't sound AI-generated. It feels natural, human. Even if you don't use AI at all, these 7 signs of weak writing can still hurt you. So now you know how to fix them.
Master these fixes, and your writing won't just be undetectable.
It'll be unmistakably yours.
As I'm writing this in April, I'm working on a new ebook called "The Ultimate Guide to Authentic AI Writing." If you enjoyed this article, you'll probably love that too. My Buy Me A Coffee supporters will get 50% off the final price.
Oh, and my next article will feature a guest post about storytelling from my friend Jamie who tells the most ridiculously engaging stories about her adventures in urban beekeeping. Can't wait to share that with you all!
Statistics
- Customer support and service platforms have integrated AI content generation to handle over 40% of common queries without human intervention.
- As of 2023, over 30% of online content is estimated to have some involvement of AI in the writing process.
- Studies indicate that AI content generation increases productivity by an average of 40% for content creation teams.
- Over 25% of novel writers and screenwriters report using AI assistance for idea generation and plot development.
- According to user satisfaction surveys, over 80% of users trust AI-generated content as much as content written by humans for general information purposes.
- AI content generation tools have seen an increase in usage by approximately 200% over the past two years.
- Artificially generated content has seen a 14% higher engagement rate on average across various social media platforms.
- Survey results show that 90% of businesses that use AI content generation tools report time savings and increased efficiency.
- The accuracy of AI-generated content has improved by over 50% with advancements in natural language processing technologies.
- Social media marketers using AI content generation tools report a time reduction of up to 50% in creating posts and updates.
External Links
- Cognizant explores how cognitive computers like IBM Watson will improve writing.
- Marketing AI Institute releases a comprehensive report on the state of marketing AI.
- VentureBeat discusses the significant role of AI in content creation.
- Contently offers a report on the state of content marketing in 2021 and beyond.
- Copyblogger addresses the relationship between artificial intelligence and content creation.
- OpenAI discusses the capabilities of advanced language models for content generation.
- TechRepublic covers the advent of new language models in AI writing.
- Content Marketing Institute discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on content marketing.
- Harvard Business Review examines the transformation of the creative process through AI.
- SEMrush collects key statistics on content marketing and the role of AI.
How To
How to Implement AI Content Generation for SEO Keyword Research
Implementing AI content generation for SEO keyword research entails using AI tools that analyze search trends and suggest relevant keywords. Integrate these keywords naturally into content drafts provided by AI, ensuring that they align with your content’s topic and audience intent. Use the AI-generated keywords as a starting point for a broader content strategy focused on organic growth and visibility.
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