Issue 029: The Ultimate Guide to Recognizing AI-Generated Content

Monica Poling

July 22, 2025

• The Ultimate Guide to Recognizing AI-Generated Content

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9 Telltale Signs Your Marketing Copy Was Written by a Bot

Here's an uncomfortable truth. AI-generated content has become a lot harder to notice in professional writing. But, if you get busted for using AI text, it can still be the kiss of death in professional marketing.

When prospects suspect your content came from ChatGPT, it raises uncomfortable questions about your value. Why pay YOU premium rates for something they could generate themselves in minutes? More importantly, if you're in the creative space, relying on machines to craft your message undermines everything you stand for.

The challenge? Modern AI writing tools have become sophisticated enough that obvious red flags aren't always reliable indicators anymore. AI-generated posts are still flooding LinkedIn feeds, and some are painfully obvious. The memes about spotting AI through overuse of emojis and em dashes exist for a reason - AI models genuinely seem to love that dramatic pause the em dash provides.

Why Sounding Robotic Kills Your Credibility

The issue isn't whether you use AI tools. You probably do, and that's okay. The issue is whether your output sounds like it was machine-generated.

If you're positioning yourself as someone who "gets" your customers or as a marketer who helps businesses stand out, you absolutely cannot afford to sound like AI wrote your script.

Let me be transparent: I leverage AI regularly. It's fantastic for research, outlining ideas, grammar checks, and strategic feedback. But I never let it write my pieces because my authentic voice is irreplaceable. Why would I want a robot to try to sound like me when my own voice is so much more personal?

So, this guide isn't about "don't use AI." it's about how to edit AI so your content doesn't sound like a machine did the work. Because, when your content sounds AI-generated, you're essentially broadcasting three damaging messages about your street cred:

• Lack of creative thinking and originality

• Disconnection from human emotion (essential for great marketing)

• Professional shortcuts that feel, honestly, a little lazy

And here's the kicker: no client wants to hire a middleman, when they (feel like they) could prompt ChatGPT themselves.

The Pattern Problem: Why AI Defaults to Mediocrity

AI, in a nutshell, regurgitates clichés. It's clever and has incredible speed, but it's not capable of original thought. It can only retell what it's heard before, just rearranged to look new.

Cliches are words that are used a LOT. Which means numerically, AI considers them to be "popular." AI systems have analyzed millions of text samples—unfortunately, weak writing far outweighs excellent writing on the internet. This means AI often mirrors the worst writing habits and repeats or replicates the most overused phrases.

So, leanly, this means ... AI sees "game-changer" used 50,000 times and thinks "this must be good language."

The result? Content that feels generic, predictable, and stripped of personality. In a marketplace where everyone's fighting to stand out, generic equals invisible. It's marketing suicide, especially for mission-driven professionals who depend on storytelling to differentiate themselves.

9 Dead Giveaways That Expose AI Writing

Em Dash Overload

AI uses em dashes like I use hot sauce on everything—liberally and without much thought. I guess it loves that dramatic pause effect, but it's gotten so obvious that people are actually rewriting passages just to remove the appearance of AI interference. Which means now memes about. It's probably only a matter of time until AI starts spouting em dash memes.

Red Flag Example: "Content marketing is challenging—especially now—when audiences expect authenticity—but struggle to find it."

Human Alternative: "Content marketing faces unique challenges today. Audiences crave authenticity but rarely encounter it."

The Fix: One or maybe two em dashes in an article won't kill you, but more than that? Time to rework that robot text. Try periods instead, or restructure the sentence entirely.

Overuse of Proof Words

"Literally" - With respect to Rob Lowe and his Literally podcast, this word has literally run its course. People abused it long before AI amplified the problem. It's gotten so bad that "literally" now has two contradictory meanings: "this is true" and "this is definitely hyperbole."

"Actually" - Another AI favorite, especially in headlines. "Marketing advice that actually works." Yuck. As if anyone would intentionally write about marketing strategies that don't work. What "actually" is trying to do here is throw shade at everyone else, but if you want to throw shade, just do it already.

The Fix: Delete these qualifiers entirely. Your message will be stronger without them. You can also tell ChatGPT to avoid these words by adding them to its memory settings.

"Zero Fluff" Syndrome

Oh my gosh, I can't even with "no fluff." Have you ever said "no fluff" in real life? I didn't think so. This phrase appears everywhere in AI-generated content, and if you see it, clean it up or risk being mocked mercilessly. (Yes, I know Zero Fluff is just an offshoot of literally and actually, but it has become SO RAMPANT, I gave it its own headline.) The real irony here? No fluff is itself fluff!

Example: "Here's the no-fluff approach to better marketing"

Alternative: Use "direct," "straightforward," or eliminate the qualifier completely.

Comma-Separated Participles

Example: "The campaign succeeded brilliantly, generating record engagement, resulting in unprecedented conversions."

I once asked ChatGPT why it did this construction so often, and I swear the machine got defensive with me. It said this pattern "creates flow and shows relationships." Whatever, robot. I don't like your flow.

Most humans don't construct sentences this way, and I don't know many people who write like this naturally, but Large Language Models absolutely love it.

Better: "The campaign succeeded brilliantly. We saw record engagement and unprecedented conversion rates."

The Fix: If you spot lots of "ing" words following commas, that's your cue to restructure before readers start thinking you're signaling your reliance on AI assistance.

"Screaming into the Void"

Example: "If your marketing feels like screaming into the void..."

When I hear this phrase, I always picture someone standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon. And because I watched too many Emergency! episodes as a kid, I also imagine the avalanche that would result from all that void-screaming.

I searched for the origin of this phrase and couldn't find a solid source, so I suspect it might be a chicken-or-egg situation. Did humans actually start saying it first, or did AI just make it part of our collective vocabulary?

Solution: If you wouldn't say it naturally in conversation, find a more authentic expression for your writing.

Synonym Overload for "Help"

Example: "I empower entrepreneurs to elevate their marketing strategies"

Internet gurus and life coaches have beaten this pattern to death. The standard advice goes: start your bio with "I help [customer type] achieve [outcome]." But after writing "help" seventeen times, it sounds more like a cry for help than a professional bio. Out comes the thesaurus, and suddenly everyone's "empowering," "supporting," "guiding," "enabling," and "elevating." Hello, Tony Robbins wannabes.

Since the internet is drowning in "how to help" synonyms, AI has been quick to follow suit. "Empower" is the most cringe-worthy offender, but overusing any of these alternatives signals non-human writing.

The Fix: Just say what you actually do. "I write email campaigns that get opened" beats "I empower businesses to elevate their email engagement" every single time.

Want better guidance on crafting your professional bio? Focus on creating what I call your "Magic Message"—a clear, specific statement about the transformation you provide that doesn't rely on generic helper synonyms. You can check out my Magic Message framework in my free Simple Strategic Plan.

7. "Fast-Paced World" Syndrome

Example: "In today's rapidly evolving business landscape..."

There are countless variations: "as the marketing world rapidly evolves," "struggling to keep up with technological changes," or "navigating our fast-paced digital environment." The common threads are always speed, change, and the difficulty of keeping up.

This probably stems from the "identify a pain point" strategy that marketing professionals love, but current AI models have made this intro absolutely rampant. Even newer AI versions still default to some version of this world-evolution commentary followed by how you alone can overcome the speed of change.

Better Approach: Start with industry-specific observations rather than generic world-state commentary. "Marketing budgets are tighter than ever" or "Your customers expect personalized experiences" work infinitely better than sweeping but meaningless evolution talk.

8. Numbered Lists for Everything

Example: "Here are 7 ways to revolutionize your morning routine" (with every single section getting its own number)

Oh, the irony. When I asked Claude AI to review an early draft of my original article, it literally added numbers to all my section headers. AI absolutely loves numbered lists—it's like the algorithm equivalent of comfort food. "Here are 5 strategies for..." "The 3 secrets to..." "7 ways to transform your business..."

Then each section gets its very own number. Poor #7—are you really the least important way to transform a business?

Here's the reality check: use numbered lists when order actually matters, and bullets when it doesn't. "Top Five Movies of 2025" should be numbered because there's (presumably) some ranking involved. "My Favorite Movies of 2025" shouldn't be numbered because there's no metric supporting that particular order.

The Test: Could your sections work as bullet points? If you could move section two to section one with no impact on the story's flow, those numbers don't belong.

9. "Hidden Gems" and Other Lazy Descriptors

Example: "This hidden gem nestled in the mountains offers..."

When I worked as a travel editor, I crossed out "hidden gems" constantly. That was before AI elevated this lazy phrase to new levels of overuse.

Today, AI has adopted "hidden gem" for anything that's supposedly good and lesser-known. It's become the go-to shortcut for describing places, tools, strategies—you name it.

Bonus pet peeve: Notice how I snuck "nestled" into that example? While "nestled" isn't necessarily an AI tell, I despise it so much that I had to call it out as another example of descriptive laziness.

The Reality: "Hidden gems" tells your audience absolutely nothing useful. At best, it might remind people of breaking rocks in Stardew Valley to find actual gems. On its own, it completely fails to explain why this supposedly tremendous place or thing deserves attention.

The Fix: Using "hidden gem" means you've done a disservice to whatever you're trying to spotlight. Instead of relying on this meaningless shortcut, describe what makes the place, tool, or idea genuinely special. If you encounter a writer or marketer who uses "hidden gem" without irony, maybe reconsider working with them. Remember: No Original Thought.

Professional FAQ: Maintaining Authenticity with AI Assistance

Q: How do I keep my brand voice when using AI tools? Focus on AI as a starting point, not the destination. Add personal anecdotes, industry insights, and specific examples only you can provide.

Q: What's the best way to spot subtle AI influence? Read everything aloud. If it doesn't match your natural speaking pattern, it needs revision.

Q: How can I use AI efficiently without losing authenticity? Set clear boundaries. Use AI for research, outlines, and grammar—but handle creative decisions and emotional messaging yourself.

Quick Tactics to Humanize AI-Assisted Content

Read Everything Aloud - If you wouldn't say it in person, don't write it. This is your best defense against robotic phrasing.

Kill the Qualifier Words - Remove "actually," "literally," "truly," and unnecessary adjectives. In fact, avoid most adjectives unless they genuinely change the meaning. "Blue sky" is usually just "sky."

Break Up Complex Constructions - AI loves elaborate sentence structures. Humans prefer clarity. Confusingly, ChatGPT's latest model also defaults to short, choppy sentences. Don't ask it to explain why—it'll just get defensive. Focus on making your sentences sound naturally human.

Add Specific Details - Replace generic phrases with concrete examples from your actual experience. If you're not sure whether something sounds generic, imagine using that phrase by itself. If it doesn't uniquely describe what you're talking about, find better language.

Use Contractions - "Don't" sounds more conversational than "do not." This simple change makes everything feel more human.

Train AI on Your Voice - Give it samples of your writing and ask it to match your specific tone. ChatGPT allows you to upload examples of your natural voice, which helps enormously.

The Professional Reality Check

AI can be a powerful tool for content creation, but if you're positioning yourself as someone who stands out from the crowd or understands how to promote mission-driven projects, you absolutely cannot sound like everyone else. Or like a machine.

Take the time to edit ruthlessly. Add your authentic voice. Make it genuinely yours. Use AI for strategic insights, not content replacement.

The stakes matter here. Worse than sounding robotic, getting caught using AI poorly means you're essentially hanging a giant "N.O.T." (No Original Thought) sign around your neck. In a world where everyone's fighting to stand out, that's marketing suicide.

This is especially critical for mission-driven professionals who depend on storytelling to differentiate themselves. Your stories are literally your business advantage.

Remember: your voice, experience, and perspective are your competitive advantages. Don't let convenience tools compromise what makes you irreplaceable in the marketplace.

What AI writing habits have you noticed creeping into your industry? Share your observations in the comments—let's help each other maintain authentic professional communication while still leveraging these powerful tools effectively.

What AI writing habits have you noticed in your industry? Share your observations in the comments—let's help each other maintain authentic professional communication

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