These Words Make it Obvious That Your Text is Written By AI

These 7 words are painfully obvious. They make me cringe. They will make your reader cringe.

Have you ever read an article that made you say, "This was created by AI?"

We all know what "human writing" sounds like, and the majority of us are ardent readers, reading numerous articles every day and several novels each month.

But until recently, I still couldn’t put a finger on it.

In November of last year, I took a job as a Content Writer and Editor, and since then, I have been writing and editing 12 to 20 pieces each week. It was through this repetitive, highly systematic, and stimulating job duty that I discovered constant giveaways to AI output.

I discovered how ChatGPT sounded to assist my writers sound more human, and I am going to share these with you immediately.

Writing with AI

This post isn’t to dismiss AI.

We truly enjoy AI, and I use it on a frequent basis; however, if you use it, you must do so in a way that seems and sounds human. You cannot be lazy solely because of AI.

Compelling, human articles created with AI tools are high-powered and efficient writing, but pieces that look and sound like AI are simply trashy.

That’s why I’m writing this.

We writers can not avoid AI, and we should not – we need to adapt and use any tools that the industry affords us to keep elevating the standards of our craft, which includes harnessing the efficiency and speed of AI without sacrificing the compassion of your story.

So if you want to use AI to write your articles, make sure to edit out these words.

1. Transformative

Example: "Semantic web approaches provide a revolutionary approach by increasing the depth of search engine comprehension."

AI giveaway: This clear giveaway word overhypes whatever you are attempting to convey and promotes it as something that alters the world; not everything needs to be "transformative," which is unneeded and pompous.

Edit: eliminating it will have little effect on the message; nevertheless, if necessary, modify it to something more plain and straightforward.

2. Foster/fostering

Example: "It creates a consistent visual brand, instilling trustworthiness and professionalism."

AI giveaway: I particularly despise this word, which has become a catch-all for writers who do not know what they are describing, and it is so overused and non-descriptive. If I encounter more than two of these words in an article, I flag it.

Edit: Make it more detailed, descriptive, and context-appropriate, such as make, build, forge, nurture, etc.

3. Tapestry/A tapestry of…

Example: “Knowledge graphs utilize semantic linkages, transforming data into a rich tapestry of interrelated knowledge.”

AI giveaway: ChatGPT does this so often, and I have come to despise it with a passion. Anything connected does not have to be a "tapestry" of anything; they can be simply connected, or even related.

Edit: Remove or reword; that is a dead giveaway.

4. This is about … or all about …

Example: "The Crypto Pro Playbook is all about placing power back in your hands, allowing you to navigate the crypto world without incurring excessive costs."

AI giveaway: When using "this is about …" or "X is all about …" in your post, AI assumes that:

• AI wrote your piece of writing or
• You are not sure what you are talking about.

Well-written content is more precise, rather than saying "something is all about something else."

Edit: Make it more specific and informative.

5. Think of X as …

Example: "Consider influential blogs and forums as digital mentors."

AI giveaway: There are better methods to communicate a metaphor. This particular sentence is a trend that many AI software follow.

Edit: To improve your writing, avoid using phrases like "think of it as …" because readers are already thinking about it.

6. Like/It’s like …

Example: "It is like having a front-row ticket to the future of cryptocurrency—all from the comfort of your couch."

AI giveaway: As stated above, it is a highly repeated and recognized pattern.

Edit: Delete and reword your sentence.

7. Not only … but also …

Example: "E-commerce enterprises that use pillar pages not only streamline user navigation but also position themselves as industry leaders."

AI giveaway:  Grammarly is continuously insisting that I replace it, and I believe any editor would concur. It is a highly repeating and distinguishing pattern, and it is needless. I only use it when the two points are:

• Somewhat contradictory to one another,
• Not frequently tied together, or
• Unanticipated

Edit: If it does not meet any of the above conditions, simply replace the sentence to "and." Simplicity is always preferable.

Bonus: Sentence length

There is a simple solution to AI's tendency to produce uninteresting paragraph building, which is typified by long, boring sentences.

Using the "short — long — short" pattern, as seen in the opening paragraph of this section, can help you create more human-sounding material.

Final thoughts

Writing using AI is a highly valuable thing, and I definitely believe that writers who do not use AI will be swiftly surpassed by those who do.

But just because you are employing AI does not mean you should be lazy. AI is still a long way from copying a human writer off the bat, so if you want the same level of quality, you must be diligent in editing.

Remove those seven common dead giveaways of AI material and step up your writing game in 2024.