By Jonathan Baker The capabilities of AI are amazing. Each new development to increase productivity and inspire innovation always impress. The unintended tradeoff, however, is becoming too reliant on this technology. Case in point: Writing. The title does not mean rewriting text you composed with assistance from either ChatGPT, Gemini, or any other artificial intelligence (AI) platform of choice. It is a reminder to check over the resulting blog, essay, or article before pressing the “Publish” button. This matters a lot. Unique Patterns Written by AI Platforms If you’ve ever read more than one book by a particular author, you pick up on their individual tone and writing style. Believe it or not, a similar phenomenon has developed in the world of AI. Increased use of this technology has given rise to a lot of content that literally and figuratively has AI written all over it. And a lot of readers are taking notice. Search Engine Journal calls attention to writing patterns generated by AI and how they can—and should—be caught and adjusted. Reading, Writing, and Reasoning For those who read and research, having the ability to pinpoint AI-written content enables them to evaluate and fact check sources of information. Writers, on the other hand, get an inside track for being able to spot this content and apply edits to give a more human and authentic tone to the text. This is especially important because search engines have become proficient in uncovering AI writing. And the greater degree to which text has been generated by AI, the lesser its value. How can this be addressed? Rules to Revise By… Anyone who uses AI tools for written content—whether to enhance or generate text—must take extra care to review the (almost) finished product. The following points are common to most AI platforms used for writing: 1. Begin at the Beginning As all writers know, the opening words of a story, article, or blog are important because they catch the reader’s attention. Studies have shown that the opening words of AI-written content tend to be predictable among the different models. Special attention must therefore be given to those first few sentences. 2. Catch Characteristic Wording This refers to phrasings that each AI model frequently uses. For example, ChatGPT overdoes transition words and phrases like “certainly,” “such as,” and “overall.” While these words are perfectly acceptable, if they appear too often within one piece of written content, the reader (and search engines) will be tipped off that everything was composed by AI. 3. Focus on Formatting Bulleted lists accompanied by brief (but complete) explanations are easy on the eyes and helpful to those who prefer short and direct reading. Many AI models, however, include simple bullet points or minimal lists without explanations to back up statements within the copy. Take care that bulleted lists in your text do not read as if they are missing content. If so, research and fix. 4. Rearrange and Reorganize Since AI uses algorithms, data, and computing power as its foundation, written content will, as Search Engine Journal stated, “follow predictable organization.” For this reason, keep copies or bookmarks of content you’ve written with AI-assistance. After you’ve written the draft for an upcoming publication, check against a previous file. If the structure is similar, rearrange the text for the sake of originality. 5. Personal Touch Whenever possible, and if appropriate, add something personal. Whether it’s an opinion or relevant experience that connects to the subject matter, readers will notice, relate, and appreciate the human touch of your writing. As AI continues to advance, there has been a looming concern that this technology would replace human effort. The need to oversee, check, and revise AI-written content proves the necessity of human interaction. Indeed, this may be the strongest example of how AI and human beings work in sync. Are you looking for a genuinely personal connection with your customers, assisted by AI efficiency? Good news. The EGC has this expertise. Get in touch with us today to learn more.
