AI-generated text is becoming increasingly sophisticated, creating content that’s nearly indistinguishable from human writing. While this can have many benefits, it also poses a threat for misinformation campaigns and other nefarious uses.
That’s why a few companies have rushed out products that claim to detect when a piece of text is generated by an AI model. But these tools are not perfect.
1. Awkward Phrasing
While AI-generated content doesn’t tend to contain glaring grammatical errors, it may use awkward phrasing and sentence structure that isn’t found in natural language. Additionally, it may have a tendency to repeat words or phrases over and over again, which is another common sign that a piece of content has been written by an algorithm.
Machine-generated writing also lacks a certain amount of slang and colloquialisms that are typically found in human-written content. Additionally, it can have a difficult time understanding and using idiomatic expressions, which will often result in erroneous interpretations or awkward phrasing. The good news is that you don’t need a degree in computer science or an expensive toolkit to spot machine-generated text, just some keen awareness and a few simple tricks.
2. Repetitive Patterns
While AI technology has come a long way, it’s still not yet good enough to mimic the nuances and personality of human writing. This is why it’s important to know how to spot AI written text.
One way to tell if an article is AI-generated is to look for repetitive patterns in the text. AI writing tends to have a very uniform tone and lacks the emotional nuances that human writers include in their work.
It’s also worth looking for patterns of awkward phrasing and sentence structures that don’t align with natural language. However, experts agree that effective detection requires a combination of methods, with tools serving as initial screening and readers cultivating their own analysis strategies. Comprehensive approaches produce the most reliable results.
3. Unusual Vocabulary
Unusual English words are another surefire way to spot machine-generated text. The most common examples include slang, informal language, and obscure or regionally specific phrases. You can also look for unusual or over-complex sentence construction.
These are all signs that a writer isn’t human and the content they’re creating is probably AI generated. It’s easy to miss these clues, especially when AI has a knack for writing in a style that mimics other types of content and doesn’t use slang or informal language.
Learning to spot machine-written text is an essential skill for anyone who writes, consumes or manages content. There are a variety of tools available that can help you recognize these characteristics. But you can also learn to identify them on your own by keeping these five tips in mind.
4. Contextual Errors
AI models are sometimes prone to misinterpreting contextual information. This is especially common when they’re used to generate news stories or other types of content that require nuanced understanding of current events and trends.
Inconsistent writing patterns and logical errors can also be telltale signs of machine-generated text. This can include sudden shifts in language or tone, illogical or disjointed arguments, or lack of coherence.
While it may seem like it’s nearly impossible to detect machine-generated text, there are ways to be more vigilant. By identifying the five key indicators and using a combination of automated detection tools and human judgement, readers can avoid falling prey to fake or misleading information. For more, check out our comprehensive guide to spotting AI-generated text, including best practices and a step-by-step breakdown of how to identify AI writing.
5. Lack of Creativity
Until recently, AI systems could create text that sounded distinctly human. A famous example is an AI system that composed a song played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, or an AI system that wrote a best-selling novel in Japan. However, most AI writing does not contain the same level of creativity.
To spot machine-generated text, look for a lack of slang or informal language. In addition, consider the overall structure of the content. Human writing tends to have a natural progression that is easy to follow, while AI writing can often appear disjointed or rambling.
While these tips will help you recognize AI-generated text, the ultimate solution requires improved technical fixes and more transparency about when a piece of content is written by an AI product. Until then, stay vigilant and be ready to spot a fake when you see one!