1# Detailed AI-Writing Patterns
  2
  3All of these are drawn from Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing, with additions from anti-artificial style guides.
  4They are the things to strip or replace when humanizing text.
  5
  6## 1. Significance / Legacy / Broader Trends
  7
  8AI templates:
  9- "stands/serves as" → "is"
 10- "is a testament/reminder" → delete or "shows"
 11- "a vital/significant/crucial/pivotal/key role/moment" → be specific or delete
 12- "underscores/highlights its importance/significance" → delete
 13- "reflects broader" → delete
 14- "symbolizing its ongoing/enduring/lasting" → delete
 15- "contributing to the" → delete
 16- "setting the stage for" → "before" or delete
 17- "marking/shaping the" → "when" or "this"
 18- "represents/marks a shift" → "became" or "then"
 19- "key turning point" → delete
 20- "evolving landscape" → delete
 21- "focal point" → "center" or "where people went"
 22- "indelible mark" → delete
 23- "deeply rooted" → "old" or "long-standing"
 24- "founding/establishment represented a significant shift" → "then"
 25- "part of a broader movement" → delete
 26- **"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")
 27
 28AI also overstates ecosystem/environment connections for biology topics and conservation status even when unknown.
 29
 30## 2. Canned Notability / Attribution / Media Coverage
 31
 32Templates:
 33- "independent coverage" → name the source
 34- "local/regional/national/[country] media outlets" → name outlets
 35- "music/business/tech outlets" → name them
 36- "profiled in" → "was in" or "[Publication] wrote about"
 37- "written by a leading expert" → name them or delete
 38- "active social media presence" → "posts on X/Instagram" or delete
 39
 40AI tends to list coverage instead of saying what the coverage said. Summarize the content, not the existence of the article.
 41
 42## 3. Superficial Analyses
 43
 44Participial phrases appended to sentences:
 45- "... , creating a lively community."
 46- "... , further enhancing its significance."
 47- "... , contributing to the socio-economic development."
 48- "... , reflecting its continued relevance."
 49- "... , highlighting their historical significance."
 50- "... , demonstrating the ongoing relevance."
 51- "... , illustrating its lasting influence."
 52- "... , emphasizing their critical view."
 53
 54Recast: either fold the idea into the main clause, make it a standalone sentence, or delete if it's redundant.
 55
 56"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.
 57
 58## 4. Promotional / Ad-like Language
 59
 60Words to kill or replace:
 61- "boasts a" → "has"
 62- "vibrant" → specific color/activity or delete
 63- "rich" → specific
 64- "profound" → specific or delete
 65- "enhancing" → "improving" or delete
 66- "showcasing" → "showing" or delete
 67- "exemplifies" → "is an example of" or just say the thing
 68- "commitment to" → "tries to" or "works on"
 69- "natural beauty" → describe it
 70- "nestled" → "in"
 71- "in the heart of" → "in"
 72- "groundbreaking" → "new" or describe what changed
 73- "renowned" → "known for [X]"
 74- "featuring" → "has"
 75- "diverse array" → "several" or list them
 76- "unlock" / "harness" / "empower" → describe the actual mechanism or benefit
 77- "elevate your experience" → say what actually changes for the user
 78
 79## 5. Vague Attributions / Weasel Words
 80
 81- "Industry reports suggest" → name the report or delete
 82- "Observers have cited" → who?
 83- "Experts argue" → which experts? Cite or delete.
 84- "Some critics argue" → same.
 85- "It is important to note..." → just say the thing
 86- "It is widely understood that..." → prove it or delete
 87- "several sources/publications" (when only a few cited) → be honest about quantity
 88- "such as" before exhaustive lists → if the list is complete, drop "such as"
 89
 90## 6. False Balance / Hedging
 91
 92AI is RLHF-conditioned to sound "balanced" even when a topic isn't genuinely ambiguous:
 93- "On the one hand... on the other hand..." structure when the writer actually has a view → pick a side
 94- "While X has benefits, Y also presents valid points" → say what you actually think
 95- Avoid forced neutrality. Real humans have biases and aren't afraid to show them.
 96
 97## 7. Outline-like Conclusions
 98
 99Formulas to break:
100- "Despite its [positive words], [subject] faces several challenges..."
101- "Despite these challenges, [subject] continues to thrive..."
102- "Challenges and Future Directions" / "Future Outlook" / "Challenges and Legacy" — section titles
103- "The future of X lies in its ability to adapt..."
104- "In conclusion" / "In summary" / "Overall" — delete
105
106## 8. Knowledge-Gap Filler
107
108When AI doesn't know something, it wraps the gap in confident-sounding filler:
109- "While specific details are limited/scarce..."
110- "not widely available/documented/disclosed"
111- "based on available information"
112- "in the provided/available sources"
113- "as of my last knowledge update"
114
115Humans say "I don't know," "records are missing," or just skip the point entirely. Don't paper over gaps.
116
117## 9. High-density AI Vocabulary
118
119Era-agnostic overused words:
120- additionally (especially at sentence start)
121- align with
122- boasts (meaning "has")
123- bolstered
124- crucial
125- delve
126- demystify
127- emphasizing
128- enduring
129- enhance
130- fostering
131- garner
132- highlight (as verb)
133- interplay
134- intricate/intricacies
135- key (as adjective)
136- landscape (abstract)
137- mastery / masterclass
138- meticulous/meticulously
139- navigate (metaphorical)
140- pivotal
141- realms (of possibility etc.)
142- resonate
143- robust
144- showcase
145- tailored (a tailored approach)
146- tapestry (abstract)
147- testament
148- underscore (as verb)
149- valuable
150- vibrant
151- concrete (when defending against AI accusations)
152
153These words aren't banned — humans use them. The tell is *density*. If a paragraph contains four or more, strip at least half.
154
155## 10. Copula Avoidance
156
157AI avoids "is"/"are" in favor of:
158- "serves as"
159- "stands as"
160- "marks"
161- "represents"
162- "refers to" (especially in leads)
163- "features"
164- "offers"
165- "maintains"
166
167Replace with simple "is"/"has" unless there's a real reason not to.
168
169## 11. Negative Parallelisms
170
171Patterns to break:
172- "Not only X, but (also) Y" → "X and Y"
173- "It is not just X, it's Y" → direct statement
174- "no X, no Y, just Z" → direct statement
175- "not A but B" across multiple sentences → pick one
176- "More than just [category]" → describe directly
177
178## 12. Lexical Diversity / Elegant Variation
179
180AI avoids repeating words, so it cycles synonyms unnaturally:
181- "constraints" → "obstacles" → "limitations" → "restrictions" in successive sentences when the same thing is meant
182- "community" → "collective" → "group" → "circle"
183
184Humans repeat words. It's fine. Pick one term and stick with it.
185
186## 13. False Ranges
187
188AI uses "from X to Y" when listing unrelated items, as if they form a spectrum:
189- "topics ranging from biology to medieval history" → "topics including biology and medieval history"
190- "from startups to Fortune 500s" → only valid if it's literally every size in between
191
192## 14. Arbitrary Quantification
193
194AI loves to number things that don't need numbers:
195- "3 Key Pillars," "5 Core Strategies," "The 4 Pillars of X"
196- If there aren't exactly three distinct points, don't force them into a numbered list.
197
198## 15. Formatting Tells (for humanization)
199
200These matter when the output format is visible to the reader (not plain text passed through):
201
202- **Boldface overuse** → remove most of it; humans bold very sparingly
203- **Em dash overuse** → replace with commas or `--` ; use maybe once per 200 words
204- **Curly quotes** → replace with straight quotes `"` `'` unless the context demands typographic quotes
205- **Vertical lists with bold inline headers** → convert to plain paragraphs or simple bulleted lists
206- **Thematic breaks (`----`) before every heading** → remove
207- **Markdown (`#` headings, `**bold**`)** → convert to the target format's native syntax
208- **Bullet characters (•)** → actual list syntax or flowing prose