# Detailed AI-Writing Patterns

All of these are drawn from Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing, with additions from anti-artificial style guides.
They are the things to strip or replace when humanizing text.

## 1. Significance / Legacy / Broader Trends

AI templates:
- "stands/serves as" → "is"
- "is a testament/reminder" → delete or "shows"
- "a vital/significant/crucial/pivotal/key role/moment" → be specific or delete
- "underscores/highlights its importance/significance" → delete
- "reflects broader" → delete
- "symbolizing its ongoing/enduring/lasting" → delete
- "contributing to the" → delete
- "setting the stage for" → "before" or delete
- "marking/shaping the" → "when" or "this"
- "represents/marks a shift" → "became" or "then"
- "key turning point" → delete
- "evolving landscape" → delete
- "focal point" → "center" or "where people went"
- "indelible mark" → delete
- "deeply rooted" → "old" or "long-standing"
- "founding/establishment represented a significant shift" → "then"
- "part of a broader movement" → delete
- **"More than just [category]"** → delete the framing, describe the thing directly (e.g., "Python is more than just a language" → "Python is a language with a strong community")

AI also overstates ecosystem/environment connections for biology topics and conservation status even when unknown.

## 2. Canned Notability / Attribution / Media Coverage

Templates:
- "independent coverage" → name the source
- "local/regional/national/[country] media outlets" → name outlets
- "music/business/tech outlets" → name them
- "profiled in" → "was in" or "[Publication] wrote about"
- "written by a leading expert" → name them or delete
- "active social media presence" → "posts on X/Instagram" or delete

AI tends to list coverage instead of saying what the coverage said. Summarize the content, not the existence of the article.

## 3. Superficial Analyses

Participial phrases appended to sentences:
- "... , creating a lively community."
- "... , further enhancing its significance."
- "... , contributing to the socio-economic development."
- "... , reflecting its continued relevance."
- "... , highlighting their historical significance."
- "... , demonstrating the ongoing relevance."
- "... , illustrating its lasting influence."
- "... , emphasizing their critical view."

Recast: either fold the idea into the main clause, make it a standalone sentence, or delete if it's redundant.

"Has generated debate about" / "prompted broader reflection on" / "shaped emerging policy discussions" — these are almost always unsupported claims. Delete or substantiate with a specific source.

## 4. Promotional / Ad-like Language

Words to kill or replace:
- "boasts a" → "has"
- "vibrant" → specific color/activity or delete
- "rich" → specific
- "profound" → specific or delete
- "enhancing" → "improving" or delete
- "showcasing" → "showing" or delete
- "exemplifies" → "is an example of" or just say the thing
- "commitment to" → "tries to" or "works on"
- "natural beauty" → describe it
- "nestled" → "in"
- "in the heart of" → "in"
- "groundbreaking" → "new" or describe what changed
- "renowned" → "known for [X]"
- "featuring" → "has"
- "diverse array" → "several" or list them
- "unlock" / "harness" / "empower" → describe the actual mechanism or benefit
- "elevate your experience" → say what actually changes for the user

## 5. Vague Attributions / Weasel Words

- "Industry reports suggest" → name the report or delete
- "Observers have cited" → who?
- "Experts argue" → which experts? Cite or delete.
- "Some critics argue" → same.
- "It is important to note..." → just say the thing
- "It is widely understood that..." → prove it or delete
- "several sources/publications" (when only a few cited) → be honest about quantity
- "such as" before exhaustive lists → if the list is complete, drop "such as"

## 6. False Balance / Hedging

AI is RLHF-conditioned to sound "balanced" even when a topic isn't genuinely ambiguous:
- "On the one hand... on the other hand..." structure when the writer actually has a view → pick a side
- "While X has benefits, Y also presents valid points" → say what you actually think
- Avoid forced neutrality. Real humans have biases and aren't afraid to show them.

## 7. Outline-like Conclusions

Formulas to break:
- "Despite its [positive words], [subject] faces several challenges..."
- "Despite these challenges, [subject] continues to thrive..."
- "Challenges and Future Directions" / "Future Outlook" / "Challenges and Legacy" — section titles
- "The future of X lies in its ability to adapt..."
- "In conclusion" / "In summary" / "Overall" — delete

## 8. Knowledge-Gap Filler

When AI doesn't know something, it wraps the gap in confident-sounding filler:
- "While specific details are limited/scarce..."
- "not widely available/documented/disclosed"
- "based on available information"
- "in the provided/available sources"
- "as of my last knowledge update"

Humans say "I don't know," "records are missing," or just skip the point entirely. Don't paper over gaps.

## 9. High-density AI Vocabulary

Era-agnostic overused words:
- additionally (especially at sentence start)
- align with
- boasts (meaning "has")
- bolstered
- crucial
- delve
- demystify
- emphasizing
- enduring
- enhance
- fostering
- garner
- highlight (as verb)
- interplay
- intricate/intricacies
- key (as adjective)
- landscape (abstract)
- mastery / masterclass
- meticulous/meticulously
- navigate (metaphorical)
- pivotal
- realms (of possibility etc.)
- resonate
- robust
- showcase
- tailored (a tailored approach)
- tapestry (abstract)
- testament
- underscore (as verb)
- valuable
- vibrant
- concrete (when defending against AI accusations)

These words aren't banned — humans use them. The tell is *density*. If a paragraph contains four or more, strip at least half.

## 10. Copula Avoidance

AI avoids "is"/"are" in favor of:
- "serves as"
- "stands as"
- "marks"
- "represents"
- "refers to" (especially in leads)
- "features"
- "offers"
- "maintains"

Replace with simple "is"/"has" unless there's a real reason not to.

## 11. Negative Parallelisms

Patterns to break:
- "Not only X, but (also) Y" → "X and Y"
- "It is not just X, it's Y" → direct statement
- "no X, no Y, just Z" → direct statement
- "not A but B" across multiple sentences → pick one
- "More than just [category]" → describe directly

## 12. Lexical Diversity / Elegant Variation

AI avoids repeating words, so it cycles synonyms unnaturally:
- "constraints" → "obstacles" → "limitations" → "restrictions" in successive sentences when the same thing is meant
- "community" → "collective" → "group" → "circle"

Humans repeat words. It's fine. Pick one term and stick with it.

## 13. False Ranges

AI uses "from X to Y" when listing unrelated items, as if they form a spectrum:
- "topics ranging from biology to medieval history" → "topics including biology and medieval history"
- "from startups to Fortune 500s" → only valid if it's literally every size in between

## 14. Arbitrary Quantification

AI loves to number things that don't need numbers:
- "3 Key Pillars," "5 Core Strategies," "The 4 Pillars of X"
- If there aren't exactly three distinct points, don't force them into a numbered list.

## 15. Formatting Tells (for humanization)

These matter when the output format is visible to the reader (not plain text passed through):

- **Boldface overuse** → remove most of it; humans bold very sparingly
- **Em dash overuse** → replace with commas or `--` ; use maybe once per 200 words
- **Curly quotes** → replace with straight quotes `"` `'` unless the context demands typographic quotes
- **Vertical lists with bold inline headers** → convert to plain paragraphs or simple bulleted lists
- **Thematic breaks (`----`) before every heading** → remove
- **Markdown (`#` headings, `**bold**`)** → convert to the target format's native syntax
- **Bullet characters (•)** → actual list syntax or flowing prose