How to tell if AI wrote something?

How to tell if AI wrote something?

Source: https://archive.is/o/RRuIl/https://allaboutcontent.substack.com/

AI-generated content is fast. But it often feels robotic. Lifeless.

Readers can tell. Editors can tell. Even AI detectors, faulty as they can be, can tell (at least, sometimes).

It’s because AI lacks that human spark.

The emotions, the experiences — that nameless way that they bleed into our words. They’ll all missing in lazy, completely-AI text. This is what creates that conflict: people read low quality AI content, hate it, and then generalize all “AI text” to be this way.

But there’s a bigger problem: Even if writers are not using AI, they’re being caught in the crossfire.

Some writers are being accused of using AI even when they aren’t! This has led to their content getting rejected from publications, even creating conflict with their editors and bosses.

This sucks, to say the least. And not just that, it can affect their income and reputations as well.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If you use AI, you don’t have to ditch it. You just have to fix what makes it obvious.

If you’re not using AI, doing this will ensure you’re never accused again.

There are 7 telltale signs of AI writing. Master them, and no one will ever question whether you wrote something yourself.

First, let’s talk about why AI writing feels “off”

AI lacks lived experience. It doesn’t feel, remember, or dream.

That means most AI-generated writing defaults to being shallow. It follows patterns, mirrors predictable structures. It plays too safe. Oh, for sure, advanced prompts or custom GPTs will “fix” that — but when you’re writing with “vanilla” GPTs and generalized prompt, you will get generalized responses.

Aka, 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.

Sometimes, writers naturally sound like this as well, especially new ones. This is unavoidable — maybe they don’t have experience yet, or their writing background has been more academic (which has those similar patterns.)

There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but it does result in their writing sounding weak and generic. Which puts them in the crosshairs of AI detectors and overeager editors.

Don’t worry, it’s very fixable. Your humanity is just not shining through.

But fixing these 7 things will help.

The 7 Signs of AI writing (and how to fix them)

1. Overuse of generic, safe language

Vaniall AI prompting avoids risks or strong stances. It won’t say anything truly bold.

If you don’t customize it (like what most writers do), it sticks to neutral, broad statements that sound safe but lack personality.

This also speaks to you. If you only use generic language, that means your mission is not clear. What is the purpose of your writing? What other thoughts and philosophies do you butt heads with? These things must be evident in every piece of content that you do.

The fix: Take a stance.

Share an opinion or add nuance that shows your personality. Stake a claim to a specific idea, whether you’re writing for yourself or your corporate blog. Having an explicit opinion humanizes you.

For example, instead of: “This tool can be useful for many people.”

Say: “If you’re a freelancer and you’re not using this tool, I truly believe you’re leaving money on the table.”

2. Repetitive sentence structures

AI loves patterns. Too much. In fact, a lot of people have pointed out the patterns in this article, to which I applaud them for keeping watch.

If every sentence has the same rhythm, the writing drags. No variation, life.

Why does this happen? That’s because AI “writing” is trained mostly on a specific, stereotypical set of content. For example, prompting AI to write a “blog” almost always defaults to a wordy, academic-sounding writing. Prompting AI to write “copy” defaults to the short, clipped sentences of a copywriter.

The fix: vary sentence length

At the most basic, 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. Creativity matters — a lot.”

But over time, you’ll notice that your unique voice will get more defined, and more natural. In case you find something that resonates (long, windy sentences, ponderous paragraphs, strong, opinionated words, whatever), you start to form your Unpromptable Voice.

3. Unnecessary wordiness & filler phrases

AI often pads the word count. It repeats ideas in slightly different ways.

I have a theory that’s because vanilla AI don’t know how real humans think and absorb information. Although once you have a trained AI, you can mostly bypass this problem though.

So, often times you have to be direct.

In fact, I’ve often found that simply cutting the fluff reduces AI detection (when I use it) from 50% to 100% if done correctly.

So, for example, instead of: “One of the most important things to consider when improving writing is clarity.”

Say: “Clarity matters most.”

Although, this shouldn’t come in the way of your unique voice, once you’ve developed it. But for the most part, mercilessly editing out fluff will do wonders for your piece.

4. Lack of personal experience or storytelling

AI doesn’t live. It can’t draw from real emotions or experiences. Oh, it can try. It can create pretty convincing narratives drawing from its unlimited knowledge. And for most surface readers, that might even be enough.

But for those who want to peer a bit deeper, AI-generated text clearly lacks authenticity.

It won’t share personal anecdotes that only comes from you. No real-world, hyper-specific, contextually nuance details.

To fix this, simply add more humanizing elements to your content.

you can simply add personal stories, vivid examples, and sensory details. The more specific, the better.

Instead of: “Good communication skills are important.”

Say: “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.”

5. Clichéd and overused phrases

AI loves common phrases. It pulls from what’s already been said. Over and over.

“Think outside the box.” “At the end of the day.” “Now more than ever.”

Instead of that, use fresh metaphors and comparisons.

Create your own, something industry-specific, or something that draws from completely different domains. Make up unique expressions even.

Instead of: “Success doesn’t happen overnight.”

Say: “Success is like compound interest — it builds slowly but pays off big.”

I mean, if you’re clearly someone who likes compound interest. If not, you can liken success to other things, like plants, clams, or cats. Whatever you want.

6. Unnatural transitions

AI struggles with flow. It forces transitions in awkward ways.

It relies too much on question-response patterns (my theory: this comes from LinkedIn “best practices.” I see this kind of writing everywhere)

“The answer? Yes.”

“Guess what? It works.”

The fix: Use natural connectors and conversational transitions.

Instead of: “So, what’s the solution? Let’s discuss it.”

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 currently a hallmark of AI. Especially when it’s not used properly (overused, inappropriate tone or context, etc.)

7. Emotionally flat tone

AI can mimic tone, but it lacks true feeling. No passion, sarcasm. No humor.

Fix: Infuse 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 it’s applied to the page.

But with the proper knowledge and guidance, and a good amount of practice, you’ll be able to bring it out.

Instead of: “This book provides useful insights.”

Say: “This book hit me like a slap in the face. Exactly what I needed.”

Never be accused of using AI again

AI can assist — but it should never replace you.

It can’t replicate your creativity, emotions, voice.

The best AI-assisted writing doesn’t sound AI-generated. It feels natural, human.

Even if you don’t use AI, 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.