In school, I learned the basics of good writing – keep it short, concise, and grammatically correct.
By that definition, AI-written content must be good, right? Still, when I play with a tool like ChatGPT, I see some red flags.
Sure, it’s grammatically correct, but it gives off a serious “corporate speak” feel. It follows a logical sequence, but it often goes off on long tangents. And although its responses may be accurate, it often lacks a unique perspective.
This doesn’t mean that AI-written content is inherently bad. But if you plan to leverage AI for content creation, it’s important to know where it’s lacking, and how to fix it.
4 signs it was written by AI
1. It’s not skimmable.
As a writer, it feels good to imagine that people are connected to every word I write. However, the reality is very different from this.
Gone are the days of leisurely reading newspapers at the breakfast table. In the digital age, people want information, and they want it instantly.
But if you’ve ever tinkered with an AI-writing tool, you might notice that it hasn’t mastered the art of brevity. For example, when I ask ChatGPT to write an introduction to an article on how to write better titles, it produces the following:
This introduction isn’t necessarily bad, but it is a bit wordy and too long. Now compare this to Neil Patel’s blog post on the same topic:
see the difference?
Patel starts off with an interesting question, which immediately piques our curiosity. He also writes in short, one- or two-sentence paragraphs. Both of these strategies make the content easier to skim and absorb.
2. There is a lack of expertise.
Which article would you like to read: “How to go viral on TikTok Or “How to Go Viral on TikTok, From 3 Creators Who Have Done It”,
I’m willing to bet on the latter. This is the power of expertise – it instantly elevates any piece of content to a real-world experience.
Problem? AI has no experience.
As Caitlin Milliken, program manager and content editor for the HubSpot blog, says, “AI chatbots repackage information we’ve heard millions of times before. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective, you may want to reach out to a human expert.”
She adds, “Experts have access to the latest trends and the latest data compared to AI. Plus, they can draw from their real-world experience. If there is a need to solve a problem or deal with a situation, It’s a unique way, so nothing compares to hearing from people who have lived through it.”
In addition to having an expert (or consulting), you can add expertise to your content in other ways.
For example, here at HubSpot, many of our articles include real-world examples, original data, and “pro tips.” These elements not only increase the credibility of our content but also provide more value to the reader.
3. It’s out of date.
When I asked ChatGPT to write an article about BeReal, a popular photo-sharing app that launched in late 2021, this was his response:
This isn’t just a ChatGPT problem; All AI chatbots have a knowledge cut-off. If you use AI to write about topics outside its scope, you risk generating outdated or irrelevant content.
Plus, when you consider that only 45% of professionals believe they would be able to tell if ChatGPT has given them incorrect information, it creates a lot of room for error.
For Clint Fontanella, HubSpot Blog Manager, Using AI Is One Solution Abbreviation Research, don’t invent it.
He told me, “When you want the AI to write about data that’s outside of its database, my recommendation is to copy the content from an existing online source and summarize it in the style you like and rewrite it.” Ask to write.”
As for Milliken, she adds a fact-checking step to her editing process. In their own words: “Before publishing anything written with AI, fact-checking is essential. If the AI references a certain business or person, be sure to double-check and see if they are still are also present. ChatGPT may misrepresent these details.”
4. It seems normal or boring.
“The first time I ask an AI to write anything for me, it usually gives me the most corporate, templated response you can think of. Something that’s super neutral and feels like someone A robot might have written it,” Fontanella told me.
This is relevant to many AI users, including myself. For example, when I ask ChatGPT to “sound more personable,” he often writes in his signature corporate-y style, but with double the exclamation points.
For Fontanella, the key is to tinker with different styling cues until you arrive at an output you like (for example, “sound more light-hearted” or “write in a HubSpot writer’s voice”). However, as he also points out, this is not always a perfect solution. You still need to put in some editorial effort before getting your content across the finish line.
This might mean adding humor, including personal anecdotes, referencing pop culture, creating a unique opinion, or taking a certain point of view. This way, you are using AI as a foundation to build on.
In Fontanella’s own words: “In general, AI can’t write anything that’s up to the standard of our content. However, it can certainly write a few good sentences here and there that can become the foundation of your argument or paragraph.” I highly recommend cherry-picking sentences from the paragraph you like and then rewriting the paragraph around that sentence.”
back to you
AI offers a whole new way of creating content, but it also has its limitations. This does not mean that you should stay away from these devices. However, it is best to take advantage of them as writing assistantsNot as real writers.
As a writing assistant, AI can propose new ideas and angles, collect and summarize information, rewrite content, and create a basic outline, which you can then use with your creativity, expertise, and perspective. Can increase with.