14 AI Writing Mistakes That Instantly Give You Away (and How to Fix Them)

AI writing is a weird thing.

On a good day, it saves you two hours and your draft comes out clean, structured, and honestly better than the “blank page spiral” you were about to fall into.

On a bad day, it spits out something that technically makes sense… but screams “I was generated.” Your reader might not say it out loud, but you can feel the trust drop. The writing gets skimmed. Or worse, ignored.

So let’s talk about the mistakes that give AI writing away instantly. Not in a moral panic way. Just in a practical, “how do I make this not sound like a template wearing a trench coat” way.

And yep, each one comes with a fix you can actually use.

1) The “In today’s fast paced world” opening

If your first line is some version of:

• “In today’s digital landscape…”
• “In a world where everything is changing…”
• “Now more than ever…”

People check out. Because they have read it a thousand times. It’s the AI version of clearing your throat for two paragraphs.

Fix: Start with a specific moment, problem, or outcome.

Bad:

In today’s fast paced world, content is important.

Better:

If your intro sounds like a corporate newsletter, your reader will bounce before you finish the first sentence.

Even better is starting mid thought. A little messy. A little human.

2) Saying nothing with perfect grammar

This is the classic: every sentence is grammatically correct, thanks to a reliable grammar checker, but the paragraph doesn’t land anywhere. It’s all “benefits,” no substance.

You’ll see phrases like “streamline,” “enhance,” “unlock,” “powerful solution,” and you realize… nothing is being explained.

Fix: Force concreteness. Add one of these to each section:

• a real example
• a tiny case scenario
• a number
• a step someone could follow

If you’re using an AI tool, generate the draft, then do a pass where you add one concrete detail per paragraph. That alone changes the vibe.

3) Overusing transitions like a textbook

AI loves connectors. “Additionally.” “Moreover.” “Furthermore.” “In conclusion.” Like it’s trying to hit a rubric.

Humans… do not talk like that. Not unless they’re defending a thesis.

Fix: Replace “formal transitions” with natural ones.

• Additionally → Also / And honestly / Another thing
• Moreover → The bigger issue is / Here’s the catch
• In conclusion → Anyway / That’s the point / So yeah

This is one of the fastest edits you can make.

4) Too much structure, too evenly spaced

AI drafts often look like they were ironed.

Same paragraph length. Same rhythm. Same sentence patterns. Headings that feel like a slide deck.

Fix: Break the symmetry on purpose.

• Mix short and longer paragraphs
• Add a fragment occasionally. Like this.
• Use a one line paragraph when you want emphasis

If you’re writing for the web, uneven pacing is not a flaw. It’s what keeps people reading.

5) Generic advice with no point of view

AI tends to hedge. It tries to be helpful to everyone, which means it becomes memorable to no one.

Example:

It’s important to consider your audience and write clearly.

Sure. But… ok?

Fix: Choose a side, even a mild one.

Try:

If you’re writing for buyers, stop “educating” and start removing objections.

Or:

Clarity beats cleverness. Every time. Especially on landing pages.

Point of view makes the writing feel authored.

6) Repeating the same idea in three different ways

AI drafts often pad. You get a point, then the same point restated twice with different words. It reads like the model is “confirming” it did the task.

Fix: Do a deletion pass where you remove 15 to 30 percent.

Here’s a simple rule: if two sentences in a row could swap places and nothing changes, one of them probably needs to go.

7) Vague claims without proof (or with fake proof)

This is a big one. AI will say things like:

• “Studies show…”
• “Experts agree…”
• “Data suggests…”

…and then provide zero sources. Or worse, make up a study that sounds plausible. This issue highlights an inherent flaw in AI's approach, specifically its accuracy.

Fix: Either support it or remove it.

Options:

• Replace with your own experience: “In my tests…” “In client work…”
• Add a real source (only if you actually have one)
• Rewrite as a hypothesis: “My guess is…” “Often, this happens because…”

Readers can handle uncertainty. They can’t handle made up authority.

8) No real examples, just placeholders

AI loves example-shaped sentences that aren’t actually examples.

Like:

For example, a business can use AI to improve content.

That’s not an example. That’s a category.

Fix: Make examples specific enough to picture.

Try:

For example, if you’re writing product pages for a skincare brand, have AI draft three variants of the same description: one for beginners, one for ingredient nerds, one for gift buyers.

If you can’t picture it, the reader can’t either.

9) Sounding “confident” about everything

AI often writes like it’s never been wrong in its life. Smooth, assertive, polished.

But humans have little hesitations. A bit of “it depends.” A bit of context. Not constant certainty.

Fix: Add a reality check line.

• “This won’t matter if your audience is already warm.”
• “If you’re writing fiction, ignore this part.”
• “Yes, there are exceptions.”

That tiny grounding makes the voice feel real and helps trust AI writing more effectively by acknowledging its limitations and ensuring safe usage.

10) Using the same tone for every section

AI keeps one voice throughout. Which sounds consistent, but also… flat.

Good writing changes shape:

• more intense when it matters
• more relaxed when it’s giving a tip
• a little playful when it’s calling out a mistake

Fix: Mark the “high importance” sections and rewrite those manually.

Even if you only rewrite 10 percent yourself, make it the parts where you want trust.

11) Over optimizing for SEO, under optimizing for humans

AI SEO drafts often stuff keywords in the most obvious places. Or they create headings that look like search queries instead of thoughts.

You get:

“What Is AI Writing?”
“Why Is AI Writing Important?”
“Benefits of AI Writing”

It’s not wrong. It’s just… dead.

Fix: Write headings like a person would.

Instead of:

• “Benefits of AI Writing”

Try:

• “Where AI actually helps (and where it makes things worse)”

You can still include your keywords, just don’t sacrifice curiosity and voice to do it.

12) The “conclusion that summarizes the internet”

AI conclusions often do this thing where they recap the whole post and end with “By following these tips, you can succeed.”

It feels like a school assignment.

Fix: End with one of these instead:

• a single strong takeaway
• a next step
• a warning
• a quick checklist
• a short personal note

Example:

If you fix just two things, fix the intro and the examples. That’s where people decide whether you’re worth trusting.

That’s a conclusion a human would write.

13) Robotic phrasing that triggers the “AI detector in the brain”

Even without using a detector tool, people notice patterns.

Some common giveaways:

• “It’s important to note that…”
• “Delve into…”
• “Robust…”
• “Seamless integration…”
• “A wide range of…”

Fix: Swap to simpler words. Then add one slightly odd, personal phrase.

Like:

• “delve into” → “get into”
• “robust” → “solid”
• “a wide range of” → “a bunch of”

And then something like:

This is where most drafts start to wobble.

That kind of line. Not too much. Just enough.

If you already have a draft that feels “AI clean,” you can run it through a humanizing pass, then edit it like a writer, not like a compliance officer. A tool like this AI Humanizer can help break those patterns before you do the final polish.

14) Forgetting what the reader is trying to do

This is the deepest mistake. And it’s why AI content often underperforms.

It answers the topic. But it doesn’t serve the reader’s actual job.

Like, if someone searches “email subject lines,” they probably want subject lines they can paste right now. Not a history of subject lines and the psychology of curiosity gaps.

Fix: Write the outcome at the top of your draft. Literally.

• “After reading this, the reader will be able to ___.”

Then keep checking each section: does this help them do that?

If not, cut it. Even if it’s “good.”

If you want a simple loop that works, do this:

1. Generate the draft (fast, messy is fine).
2. Rewrite the first 5 lines manually. Always. This is the voice anchor.
3. Delete 15 to 30 percent. Remove repeats and filler.
4. Add examples. One per section if you can.
5. Swap robotic words. Especially in intros and headings.
6. Do a final “read out loud” pass. If you wouldn’t say it, rewrite it.

That’s it. Not glamorous. But it works.

And if you want an easier starting point, WritingTools.ai is built for exactly this kind of generate plus edit flow. You can draft long form or short form, then rewrite sections, tighten, expand, or reangle without starting over every time.

Also, consider using some AI writing prompts and copy-paste templates to streamline your content creation process further!

The real takeaway

AI isn’t the problem. The giveaway is laziness.

If you treat AI like a slot machine, you get slot machine writing. If you treat it like a draft partner, and you actually edit with intent, your content starts sounding like… you. Which is the whole point.

Fix the intro. Add real examples. Kill the filler.

Everything else is just cleanup.