30 Oct 2026 / Writing

How I catch machine-sounding writing

If I'm going to use AI to draft, I owe the reader a pass that makes it sound like a person. I keep a short list of rules, based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" field guide. These are the ones that catch the most.

Say the specific thing

Models drift towards the average. A real fact gets swapped for a claim that something is important. "Opened in 1958 after a £2m refit" beats "a testament to enduring vision". If I can't say why something matters in a way someone could check, I cut the line.

Use plain verbs

"Is" and "has", not "serves as" and "boasts". It sounds odd until you read it aloud, and then it sounds like a person.

Watch the patterns

Three adjectives every time. "Not just X, but Y". A trailing phrase that adds fake insight, like "highlighting its importance". One of these is fine. Several in a paragraph is what gives it away.

Don't overcorrect

No sign proves a machine wrote something, and none proves a person did. I'm not trying to hide anything. I'm trying to get rid of vague, generic writing, because that is the real problem. Swapping words won't fix it.