AI Writing Tells: 5 Tics That Give You Away
New research shows when a post is labeled AI-made, people engage with it less. Even without an AI label, common AI verbal tics can be a dead giveaway.
This doesn't mean never use AI. It means keep yourself in the work. Use it as a first pass then tweak.
Here are a few AI watchouts and how to fix them:
Negative parallelism - AI's most famous tic is telling you what something isn't before what it is. "It's not just a trend; it's a fundamental shift." "The goal is never just to survive; it is to thrive." Keep the second half and cut the setup.
Faux-conversational transitions - these are crutches AI uses to sound human, including, "At its core," "It's important to note that," "In conclusion." Delete on sight.
Rhetorical questions and triplets - the self-posed question ("The result? Devastating.") and the rule-of-three cadence ("Fast. Reliable. Affordable."). Both are rhythm tricks AI overuses.
Corporate buzzwords - like delve, leverage, utilize, robust, seamless, tapestry, realm, landscape. Use words you'd actually use in conversation.
Vagueness - the clearest tell is wordy copy with no concrete details. Real names, real numbers, real examples are what show a person wrote it.
Big tip: Read it out loud, and if it doesn't sound like you, edit hard. The effort is worth the engagement.
The result? Awesome.
