By now, you’ve likely created an article with generative AI. And after your initial astonishment at the fluency of the writing, you’ve gradually noticed cracks in the facade. Perhaps to the point where you’re approaching repulsion. Take the obsession with words like ‘delve’, ‘tapestry’, ‘resonates’ and ‘seamless’, for example. It’s a vibe but it’s not a good one.
Still, while AI content has been a little overrated at the start of the curve, it’s not going to drift away any time soon. One approach is to boycott it completely but another is to draft content with AI and then improve it. Humanise it, you could say.
If that’s your modus operandi then here are some top tips to elevate bland AI slop to something tastier that can be enjoyed by other folk. And to illustrate our point – we’ve strayed from our mantra of keeping the writing 100% human. We’ve used AI to write these 6 tips, which we’ve then improved using those very tips that we’re giving!
See if you can spot where we’ve done that – and if you can’t then that’s because these arcane techniques work.
1. Add personal stories
AI writes nice, neutral prose but if you’ve read enough of it, you’ll notice something is missing. It’s personality. You’re left with a sterile essay that reads like it was written by a very polite dilettante after a TEDx Talk.
Behind this, is a lack of experience. By sharing real-life stories, anecdotes, or even a bungled mishap, you instantly inject relatability into your article. Readers love storytelling – it’s wired into our brains. For example, in our milieu, we keep reading that “sustainability isn’t a buzzword anymore, it’s… blah blah blah blah”, which is a plausible line that AI keeps repeating. Yet, that statement is in contradiction to the far more precarious status of sustainability that we’re experiencing in the real world – and this is what readers are more curious to hear about.
Remember, personal doesn’t mean gratuitous oversharing. It just means showing a glimpse of consciousness that your audience will like and share.
By the way, writing about poor AI’s lack of experience can make one feel a bit sorry for it! But maybe that’s a human flaw.
2. Lift the vocabulary
AI can do a decent job when it comes to grammar and sentence structure but its vocabulary? That’s where it becomes embarrassingly obvious it’s no Nabokov. The overuse of words like ‘explore,’ ‘transform,’ or, heaven forbid, ‘tapestry,’ makes it all blend into a forgettable plop of filler. Frankly, it can be embarrassing to read.
The fix is simple. Make the vocabulary less TIRED and more FRESH! Remove annoying buzzwords and make them more straightforward or quirkier or wilder. Instead of talking about a ‘journey,’ describe a ‘forest bathe’. Replace stiff adjectives like ‘explore’ with something vivid, like a ‘rummage’. Simplify silly, oily words like ‘delve’ ‘ensure’ and ‘holistic’ to words that a friend would say to you. And so on. But be careful not to swing too far in the other direction. No one wants to read a paragraph that sounds like it’s choking on a thesaurus. Aim for natural, conversational improvements that sprinkle in just enough seasoning to make the sentences shine.
We mentioned Nabokov at the start of this paragraph and he’s a top example to take. Read one of his books and be amazed at how language can be used ornately, without detracting. Actually, enjoying any decent book is a good idea to lift your vocab in the age of AI writing, which is trained on all sorts of mediocre stuff.
3. Less safety, more controversy
AI is nothing if not diplomatic. It churns out copy that sits resolutely on the fence, making sure not to offend a sensitive little soul. Every risky statement is counterbalanced with a caveat. But guess what? Playing it too safe means your readers are off before they hit the second paragraph. Controversy, when used wisely, keeps people engaged. It doesn’t mean you have to become an attention-seeking edgelord but it does mean leaning into strong opinions.
For example, if this article had read, “Improving AI content can sometimes be a helpful exercise if done carefully,” you’d already be in the land of nod. Instead, we unapologetically described AI-generated content as “slop.” That’s a small but deliberate choice to ditch safeness in favor of real talk.
Challenge conventional wisdom because that’s where progress comes from and it’s often wrong. Throw in a bold view. Say something that makes people sit up and think, even if they don’t entirely agree. A well-placed controversial statement might spark a debate, or even a fight, which is often how great ideas surface. Just make sure you have the facts, logic and feeling to back yourself up, or you’ll risk sounding like you’re trying too hard.
4. Calm down the bullet points
AI loves bullet points. Loves lists. Loves sub-subsections. And sure, bullet points are great for clarity and quick reading to an online audience but too many and your content loses its rhythm. It starts resembling a corporate PowerPoint presentation rather than an engaging article.
Here’s the thing to calm them down. Use bullet points sparingly, and never at the expense of storytelling or flow. Turn some of those choppy lists into actual paragraphs. Keep bullet points only when they add real value, like when summarizing main ideas or presenting step-by-step instructions.
For example, had this section been structured like this:
- Use fewer bullet points
- Replace with storytelling
- Keep lists for tutorials
…it would hardly inspire you to reflect on your content choices. Instead, we keep it conversational because not everything needs to look like a checklist. Not all readers are hyperactive labrador puppies with no attention span. Balance, as always, is the way forward.
5. Add your signature touches
AI-generated text tends to double down on polished but generic tones. It’s like that vaguely sinister coworker who’s always smiling but never has anything interesting to say. What’s missing is you. Your quirks. Your unique perspective. The things that make people think, “I know exactly who wrote this.”
One way to do this is by playing with humor, tone shifts, or cultural references that, ahem, resonate with your readers. For instance, here’s a small tip for spicing up your writing. We could say, “Ensure your writing has distinct character,” but instead we’ll phrase it as, “Your content should sound like you, not like the user manual for a microwave.” It’s a small tweak that adds style and warmth.
AI wrote that and it’s not bad but you might include phrases or words you use frequently in everyday speech. Or, craft sentences in a rhythm your readers have come to expect. People love consistency and personality, especially in a world flooded with identikit fluff.
A more fundamental rule of thumb is to have the confidence to be you, when writing. The quirks you have in real life can be brought to the page. Don’t be all shy!
6. Shorter intros, deeper conclusions
AI introductions are… long-winded, to say the least. They often spend half a prolix page over-explaining the obvious. Your readers already know what they’re reading, so cut to the chase. Keep intros snappy and avoid preamble. You’re aiming for something that hooks people immediately, not a lecture on why content is important. The exposition is so superfluous that it puts people off, like an obligatory speech about ‘what food is‘ that must be endured before entering a restaurant.
You know those recipe pages where you have to read through Ulysses before getting to the curry paste? Don’t do that.
The charm of whether your post is inspiring or not, though, lies in the conclusion. AI often fizzles out when it’s time to wrap things up. Instead of leaving readers with a satisfying, thought-provoking takeaway, it just… stops. It slaps you in the face with a literal ‘Conclusion’. Your job is to do the opposite. Bring everything neatly back to the start and leave your audience with something memorable. A call to action, a mic drop moment, or a cheeky summary that ties everything up with a bow.
For example, when wrapping up this article, we might want to echo the idea that AI can be a helpful assistant but we humans still hold the key to top-tier content. Something like this:
When it comes to content, AI can write it, but only you can breathe life into it. Or to use a word that AI would never dream of using: only you can give it duende. With these six tips, not only can you refine AI’s rough draft, but you can also remind readers why nothing beats a messy human.
And just like that, we’re out.
Are you looking to use Gen AI but concerned about the environmental impact? If so, why not take a look at our AI for sustainability services.
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