If you haven’t yet heard of AI, you’re likely living a tech-free life. How’s that going, by the way? For the rest of us, artificial intelligence has wormed its way into pretty much every industry that uses technology. It’s created a heady mix of excitement and fear. For content writers such as myself, we’re wondering: are our services even needed anymore? The future of the marketing industry still looks a little cloudy, yes, but we believe that a human touch will always be important.
That has prompted the following exercise. If AI and I write an article on the same topic, can you spot the differences? Can you tell who’s the human and what’s the bot? Do you care? Let’s find out…
#1 Tips for spotting AI writing
Hey Duluth! 📚🤖
In the world of digital marketing and content creation, AI writing tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Sometimes, they can churn out text that’s almost indistinguishable from human writing. But don’t let that fool you—there are still telltale signs that reveal when an AI might be behind the keyboard. Ready to put on your detective hat? Let’s dive into three tips on how to spot AI-generated writing.
1. The Overuse of Clichés
AI loves clichés. It’s like a comfort zone for these digital wordsmiths. If you find yourself reading a piece that’s bursting with phrases like “thinking outside the box” or “the bottom line,” chances are it might have been penned by an AI. While a sprinkle of clichés can be harmless, an overabundance often signals a lack of genuine insight and creativity—something AI struggles with.
2. Inconsistent Tone and Style
One of AI’s quirks is its difficulty maintaining a consistent tone and style throughout a piece. If you notice sudden shifts from casual to formal or a jarring change in voice, it might be the work of an algorithm rather than a human writer. Human writers tend to have a distinct voice that remains steady, even when discussing a wide range of topics.
3. Unusual Phrasing and Odd Patterns
AI can sometimes produce sentences that sound almost right but are slightly off. Look for awkward phrasing or repetitive patterns that seem just a bit too… mechanical. For instance, AI might say “The future of technology is bright with possibilities that are expanding rapidly,” where a human might opt for something more nuanced or conversational.
So, next time you’re reading a piece of writing, keep these tips in mind. Spotting AI isn’t an exact science, but with a bit of practice, you’ll become a pro at distinguishing between human and machine-made prose. Think you’ve got what it takes? Submit your guesses and see if you can tell which articles were written by humans and which were crafted by AI!
Happy reading, Duluth!
#2 Tips for spotting AI writing
One thing that makes great writing great is the way it dances, how it moves. Human writing often follows a rhythm, a steady drumbeat that many authors say they can literally feel inside them. It also sounds conversational. If you were to have a conversation and condense it into one organic article, what would that look like? Does AI know how to do this?
Here are some ways to spot an AI-generated article:
There are few to no errors
Perfection is something that people often strive for. However, none of us will ever achieve it. Unless you’re a robot. One way to spot an AI article is that there’s nary a mistake to be seen. All the sentences are perfectly structured, and the vocabulary is just a little too advanced—or uncommon. It can sound good. Really good. But we like to read like we like to talk: it’s fun, it’s casual, and it doesn’t require a lot of work. Oh, and it feels real.
AI’s very repetitive
Another thing that AI likes to do is the same thing over and over again. It follows a pattern that you may not notice right away, but it won’t let up. The entire article will have a theme. A few common ones are:
- Excessive emoji use (especially for social media copy)
- Inorganic alliteration
- Lists, lists, and more lists
It just lacks a certain… something
And that something is the human touch. We write what we know—what we’ve experienced and what we’ve lived through. Even as a blog writer who often writes articles on stuff I know nothing about (thank you, Google), I bring a sense of self with each word I hand-select when writing a piece. You can hear my voice, you can sense my tone, and you feel like we’re making a real connection, even though we’re in a completely different time and space when you’re reading them.
Working with The Cultural North
We love AI. It helps with idea generation and creating a lot of repeatable content. Something that we’ve learned, though, is that it’s important to go back through AI writing and wordsmith it, kind of a lot. Let us know your thoughts on who (or what) you prefer to write your content. Tips and tricks provided by the human were inspired by this LinkedIn article; AI content 100% chat GPT.
Interested in partnering with us on your next website, branding, video, or other marketing project? Learn more about our Duluth-based digital marketing agency here, or get in touch with one of our amazing salespeople today!