I recently came across an article that felt oddly generic and wondered if it might have been generated by ChatGPT or another AI tool. I need help figuring out what signs to look for to tell if content was written by AI. Any advice on how to identify AI-generated writing or tips on detection tools would be really useful.
Yeah, I get what you mean, that “vaguely familiar yet strangely bland” vibe. Sometimes I’m convinced an army of robots is writing half the internet. Here’s what I usually look for: Number one, the text is weirdly repetitive. Not words like “the” five times, but phrases like “it is important to note that…” every other paragraph. Two, the tone is ultra-neutral, almost like an over-cautious guidance counselor is personally scared to offend anyone, anywhere. Three, these articles LOVE structure—intro, three bullet points, conclusion—rigid like it was built by code. You ever see an article say “In conclusion…” in the middle? That’s AI energy. Also, facts are super generic. No spicy rumors, weird opinions, or offbeat analogies—just safe, textbook info. And if it’s totally absent personal stories? Chatbot vibes for days. But honestly, with better AI, it’s getting real hard to say. All I know is, if I spot the phrase “as previously mentioned” more than once, I start getting suspicious.
Honestly, in my experience, AI writing isn’t always as squeaky-clean or neutral as @cazadordeestrellas points out. Sometimes, articles generated by ChatGPT try to sound conversational or even drop in “human-sounding” opinions, but there’s just this weird mismatch in depth. Like, the piece throws out hot takes or rhetorical questions but totally dodges any real commitment or follow-through. I’ve noticed it’ll introduce a “unique perspective” but then everything stays surface-level—no actual risk, no weird or flawed human logic, just safe commentary that feels algorithmically stitched together.
Another dead giveaway for me is how ChatGPT and similar tools rarely mess with grammar in that authentically human way—no half-formed thoughts, no peculiar tangents, very few typos or idiosyncrasies. Real people usually have a handful of slip-ups, run-on sentences, or inside jokes that feel spontaneous, you know? AI usually polishes everything a little too well unless someone purposely asked it to sound messy. Also, have you ever noticed those “balanced” lists, like every pros and cons list is the exact same length? That always screams AI to me.
One thing I’d push back on is the idea that only “generic” info is a marker—plenty of human writers churn out bland “SEO farm” content too, especially on low-budget sites. But when you get an article that seems like it could belong anywhere—substitute a couple words, change the topic, and it’d still fit—yeah, odds are high it’s AI. Or a very bored ghostwriter. Either way, if you’re looking for AI fingerprints, look for a kind of inoffensive, detail-dodging smoothness, not just the clinical repetition!