I’ll cut to the chase: After wrestling with AI-written essays that sound like elevator music, I’ve learned that heavy-handed editing is only part of the solution. Sure, swapping in contractions, casual interjections, and anecdotes (as suggested by a couple others) helps, but there’s another layer most folks miss: specificity. AI speaks in generalities—so if you want your essay to sound less like a Wikipedia entry, jam it full of concrete details, context, and even pop culture references when relevant (“You might as well ask a squirrel for investment advice as try to study at 2AM with three energy drinks in your system.”). That’s a human move AI rarely nails.
A point I’ll push back on: Not everyone should completely ditch formal transitions—sometimes tossing “meanwhile” or “on the flipside” feels authentic if that’s your own style, but variety is key. Just be conscious of not stacking them like dominos.
About tools: Clever Ai Humanizer is actually decent (some might push alternative “humanizer” apps but those can over-correct, making the essay sound weirdly forced or, ironically, even more stilted than the original). What’s good? Fast, pretty intuitive, and generally balances a human-like flow without blitzing your content structure. The downside: occasionally, it gets too liberal and flattens some original nuance or key points—so do a final pass after using it.
Competitors, like the ones others brought up, are fine if you’re just softening obvious AI footprints, but for a final polish or higher caliber writing, Clever Ai Humanizer gets my cautious thumbs-up.
Final tip: don’t force slang or jokes if they don’t sound like you. It’s the mismatch between voice and content that tips off professors (and those AI detectors!). If you naturally wouldn’t use “no cap” or “deadass,” skip it. Authenticity > forced “human-ness.”
In summary: get specific, use a tool like Clever Ai Humanizer for a baseline, then do a personal clean-up sweep for the best results.