How to Spot AI Writing
Nine dead giveaways that scream, “robot wrote this.”
In marketing, there’s a new scarlet letter: sounding like AI wrote your content.
It can signal lazy thinking and lack of originality. If a client “knows” you use AI, that opens up the question of why they should hire you, when they could just prompt ChatGPT themselves. Worst of all, those of us working in creative industries, are by default creative. Do we really want to rely on others (even machines) to form our thoughts?
And yet AI-generated posts are flooding every feed, and the line between human and machine writing keeps blurring. Some posts are pretty obviously written by AI.
Memes abound about spotting AI through the frequent use of emojis (‼️) and the overabundance of the em dash. AI models LOVE (💖) the em dash.
While early AI models were pretty underdeveloped, recent AI language model upgrades have made it much harder to “know” if content was written by AI.
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TL;DR: Stay Human, My Friends
If you’re using AI to support your content, great. But if it sounds like AI, it can undermine your credibility, originality, and authority—especially in creative or purpose-led work. This guide walks through the 9 telltale signs of AI-generated writing (like overusing em dashes and clichés like “hidden gem”) and gives you practical ways to fix them.
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My Take on Using AI Text
The problem, in marketing, isn’t using AI—it’s sounding like you did.
First, I should mention I do use AI. I use it to outline content, I use it to deepen context, and I definitely use it for spelling and grammar checks, and to suggest strategic fixes. But I never use it to write a piece from start to finish.
Why would I want to do that, when my own voice is so much more personal than anything a robot – even a robot with access to most of the written world – could sound like?
If you’re positioning yourself as a business pro who “gets” your customers or a marketer who can help them stand out, you also should not want to sound like AI wrote your script.
Sounding like AI can signal a lack of originality, and a lack of understanding of human emotion—both required in great marketing. It also feels a little “lazy.” And no client wants to hire a lazy pro who uses AI when they could save the budget and just do the writing themselves.
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All the AI World is a Cliche
AI, in a nutshell, spouts cliches. It is clever and has access to language models and speed that can hide its remarkable ability to share previously used information and make it look new. But it is not capable of original thought. It is only capable of retelling what it has heard before.
And since VERY BAD writing far outweighs VERY good writing on the internet, AI has a propensity to model itself on the very BAD writing. Which means you need to establish some strong guardrails to ensure you also don’t sound like bad writing.
The stakes are high here. Worse than sounding robotic, using AI (and getting caught using AI) means you’re essentially hanging a giant “N.O.T.” (No Original Thought) sign around your neck. And in a world where everyone’s fighting to “stand out,” that’s marketing suicide.
This is particularly important with mission-driven pros, many of whom rely on storytelling to stand out. Your stories are your business.
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9 Ways to Spot AI Writing
Below are a few dead giveaways that scream “yes, this was drafted by a machine.”
Em dashes — everywhere
AI uses em dashes like I use chili flakes on my pizza. Everywhere. I guess it loves the dramatic pause. It’s gotten so bad that people are rewriting text passages just to remove the appearance of AI interference..
The Fix: Using one or maybe two in an article won’t kill you, but more than two? Spend some time and rework that robot text, baby. Try periods instead. Or restructure the sentence entirely.
Before: “Marketing strategies are evolving—rapidly—and businesses need to adapt—or risk falling behind.”
After: “Marketing strategies are evolving rapidly. Businesses need to adapt or risk falling behind.”
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Proof qualifiers (like “literally” and “actually”)
Literally
Example: “This is literally the worst adjective”
With respect to Rob Lowe and his Literally podcast, the word “literally” has literally run its course. People abused the word long before AI amplified it. So much so that literally now has two general meanings: “this is true” and “this is not true.”
Actually
Example: “Marketing advice that actually works”
Actually is another term AI LOVES, especially in headers and taglines.
“Marketing advice that actually works.” Yuck. As if anyone would write an article about marketing that doesn’t work.
What “actually” is trying to do is throw shade. “Everyone else is wrong. But my content is actually right.” But if you’re trying to throw shade, just throw it. Say what you mean.
The Fix: If you find “actually” and “literally” cropping up in your AI-generated text, restate. Or, just delete them—your point will be stronger without the qualifier. Also, ask AI to knock it off (ChatGPT allows you to add words you don’t want to use in its memory)
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Present participle after a comma
Example: “She has redefined success, signaling a new shift in entrepreneurship”
I asked ChatGPT once why it did this so often, and I swear the machine got huffy with me. It said this construction “signals a mood.” Whatever, robot. I don’t like YOUR mood.
I don’t know anyone who speaks this way, and I don’t really know many people who write this way, but Large Language Models must.
The Fix: If you see a lot of “ing” words following commas, this is the fix. Change course, signaling you don’t want your writing to be a dead giveaway for AI. (See what I did there?)
Before: “The campaign launched successfully, generating unprecedented engagement, resulting in record sales.”
After: “The campaign launched successfully. It generated the highest engagement recorded to date, with equally high sales results.”
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“No fluff”
Example: “Here’s the no fluff way to spot AI-generated text”
OMG! I can’t even with the “no fluff. Do I really need to explain why this is so bad? Have you ever said “no fluff” IRL? I thought not. If you see “no fluff,” clean it up or be mocked mercilessly.
The Fix: Try “straightforward,” “direct,” or just skip the qualifier entirely.
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“Shouting into the void”
Example: “If your content plan feels like you’re shouting into the void…”
When I hear this, I always picture someone standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon. And because I watched too many Emergency episodes as a kid, I also envision the ensuing avalanche from all that void shouting.
I searched Google and couldn’t find a good origin story for “shouting into the void,” so I feel like this one might be a chicken or the egg situation. Did humans actually say it first? Or did AI just make it part of the zeitgeist?
The Fix: As with the examples above, if you don’t say it out loud, don’t keep it in your text. And definitely don’t use it in your headlines.
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“Help” alternatives
Example: “I empower people to find better marketing solutions”
Internet and life coach gurus are all over this one. If you want a great bio, they say, start with “I help [customer type] achieve [this outcome].” But by the time you’ve finished writing that bio first draft, you have said “help” so many times, it sounds more like a cry for help and not a bio. Out comes the thesaurus and voila: empower, support, guide, enable, elevate. Hello, Tony Robbins.
And if the internet at large uses these synonyms, ad nauseum, AI has been quick to follow. “Empower” is the most egregious, but overuse of any of the others can also signal your text was AI-generated.
The Fix: Just say what you actually do. “I write email campaigns that get opened” beats “I empower businesses to elevate their email engagement” every time.
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“Our rapidly evolving world”
Example: “In today’s fast-paced world…”
There are all kinds of versions of this phrase: “as the marketing landscape rapidly evolves,” “as we struggle to catch up with changes in tech,” but the commonalities are speed, change, and difficulty in keeping up.
This probably harkens back to the “solve a pain point” strategy that so many marketing pros like because this intro is rampant.
Current AI models have gotten a little better about not using this phrase, but it still shows up with some frequency. If your content, especially your intro paragraph, has some equivalent of “in today’s fast-paced world,” slow down and remove this perpetrator.
The Fix: Start with something specific to your industry or audience instead. “Marketing budgets are tighter than ever” or “Your customers expect personalized experiences” work better than sweeping, but generic world-evolution pep talk.
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Numbered lists for everything
Example: “Here are 7 ways to revolutionize your morning routine” (with every section header sporting a number.)
Oh, the irony. I asked Claude AI to review my article and it literally (ha ha, I can’t stop) added numbers to all my headers. AI absolutely LOVES numbered lists. It’s like the algorithm equivalent of comfort food. “Here are 5 strategies for…” “The 3 secrets to…” “7 ways to transform your business…”
Then, each section gets it very own number. Poor #7. Are you really the least favorite way to transform a business.
Look, here’s the deal. Ordered (numbered) and bulleted (not numbered) lists can help visually break up a page heavy with text. The general rule of thumb: use bullets when order doesn’t matter and numbered lists when order does.
For example, “Top Five Movies of 2025,” should probably be numbered, as it (ostensibly) would be based on a measured popularity list of some sort. “My Favorite Movies of 2025,” would generally not be numbered because there is no metric supporting that order.
The Fix: Ask yourself if your headlines would work as bullets? If not, they don’t need a number.
Also ask if there are metrics to support the order of each sections. If you could move section two to section one with no change to the story’s context, the numbers don’t belong.
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“Hidden gems”
Example: “Hidden gem nestled in the mountains”
When I was a travel editor, i redlined “hidden gems” a lot. And that was before AI elevated it.
Today, it is still a bad-writing substitute for explaining “the power and wonder of amazing places.” It is so commonly used in travel writing that AI has adopted it for anything that is “good” and “lesser known.”
Bonus: Notice how I threw “nestled” into the example. “Nestled,” by itself, isn’t really a signal of AI writing. I just hate the term so much, that I added it as an example of what not to do.
The Fix: Hidden gems tells you nothing. At best, maybe it calls to mind a Stardew Valley character breaking rocks to search for rubies. On its own, it does not uniquely tell people why this tremendous place or thing is a great find. Using “hidden gem” means you’ve done a disservice to the very place or thing you’re trying to spotlight.
Instead of relying on “hidden gem” as a shortcut, describe what makes the place/thing/idea uniquely special. (And if you’re considering working with a writer or marketer who uses hidden gem without irony?
The problem isn’t using AI—it’s sounding like you did. If your voice disappear, your marketing disappears as well.
– Monica Poling
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Customers Want to Know
FAQ: How Can I Avoid Sounding Like AI Wrote This?
A: Prioritize your core message and brand personality by reviewing AI drafts for tone consistency. Add anecdotes, client stories, or local references that only you can provide. Use AI as a draft assistant—not the author—to ensure your content reflects your authentic voice and values. Also, create and upload a brand voice guide or editorial guidelines.
A: Look for overly formal or generic phrasing, unnatural sentence flow, and repeated patterns like clichés or certain fillers. Use tools like AI content detectors as a guide, but trust your intuition—if it doesn’t sound like your natural voice, it needs revision.
A: Automate repetitive tasks like grammar checks or research summaries but keep creative decisions in-house. Set clear boundaries for AI’s role—such as outlining or suggesting ideas—while personally crafting the emotional and persuasive parts that build trust.
A: Embed cultural nuances, traditions, and unique sensory details that AI can’t generate authentically. Collaborate with local voices and experts to enrich your narratives. This approach ensures content stands out and honors the community’s true spirit.
A: Track engagement metrics like comments, shares, and time spent on page. Use surveys or direct feedback to assess emotional resonance. Low interaction may signal that content feels impersonal or robotic, prompting you to deepen personalization.
A: Leverage AI for brainstorming and drafting but focus on your customer’s real stories, challenges, and successes. Use simple, clear language reflecting how you speak daily. Authenticity resonates more than polished but generic copy.
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Quick Wins
Five Ways to Keep Content Human
Read it out loud: If you wouldn’t say it in conversation, don’t write it.
Kill the qualifiers. Delete “actually,” “literally,” “truly,” and “really” wherever possible. In fact, avoid adjectives unless they change the meaning of the sentence. Blue sky? Unnecessary.
Break up long sentences. AI loves complex constructions. Humans prefer clarity. Confusingly, ChatGPT’s latest model also likes short, choppy sentences. Don’t ask it why. It’ll just get huffy. Just keep your sentences sounding human. Infuse your voice throughout.
Add specifics. Replace generic phrases with concrete examples from your experience. If you’re not sure if something is generic use the phrase on its own. If it doesn’t uniquely call to mind what you’re talking about, find another phrase.
Use contractions. “Don’t” sounds more human than “do not.”
Ask AI to rewrite in your specific voice. Give it examples of your writing and ask it to match your tone. ChatGPT allows you to upload copies of text written in your voice.
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The Bottom Line: Don’t Sound Like a Machine
AI can be a powerful tool for content creation, but if you’re positioning yourself as someone who stands out from the crowd or someone who understands how to promote mission-driven projects, you should not sound like everyone. Or a machine.
Take the time to edit. Add your voice. Make it yours. Tell AI not to edit for content, just for strategic insights.
Remember, your voice and your stories are what make you uniquely you. Don’t allow AI to do them a disservice.
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