How to spot AI writing

Luke Meredith

Have you ever looked at a website, online article, job application or another form of digital writing and thought something just looks a bit *off*.

You’re not sure exactly why, but it just doesn’t look completely real.

If so, there’s a good chance that what you’re reading is the production of artificial intelligence (AI).

With the variety of AI chatbots available to internet users, AI content can be found in websites, news and advice articles, CVs, promotional material and even exam papers.

However, many people, including us, prefer to avoid AI content wherever possible. If you’re the same, here’s a few common features of the writing produced by these tools, so you can identify it straight away.

Formulaic sentence openings

Want to identify AI text immediately as soon as you see it? The first few words of the first sentence should give you a very good indication.

AI-generated content will commonly begin with broad, generalised statements relating to whatever prompt it has been given. For example, take a look at the below prompt we gave ChatGPT:

While this may seem like a normal way to open a sentence the first time you see it, over time you’ll begin to recognise an opening like this as a staple of AI writing.

Boring, formal tone

It’s easier than you think to get your personality across when you write online. That’s why, when you see writing that is vague and somewhat boring while maintaining a fairly formal, professional tone, the producer of the text may be more machine than human.

Lack of subject-specific expertise

With an incredible bank of data at its disposal, AI models are able to produce instant responses to an unfathomable number of written prompts. However, being a purely data-driven tool, it lacks the insight of a real expert in a field.

If you consider yourself to be an expert at what you do, your own knowledge and insights will exceed that of what AI can produce, even if you’re not able to produce content showcasing your expertise quite as quickly.

AI’s text generating capabilities, especially in terms of speed and efficiency, are remarkable. With the technology advancing at an increased rate, it’s likely that AI-generated text will become harder to spot as time goes on. However, if you’re looking for authenticity, human work will always come out on top.

If you’re interested in engaging, human-written content that works, reach out to our specialist team at Engage Web today.

About
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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.

How to spot AI writing