It is now easier than ever to scrape content from the web and regurgitate it in a new form. Although there’s a golden temptation to hop aboard the infinite AI slop factory and start spamming web crawlers with generic content, it’s worth remembering: these tools are not ends, they are extensions. They are bridges. Nets. Mirrors. Amplifiers.
AI, when wielded properly, lets the individual reach further into nuance than ever before and cast the net, to build the bridge, to whisper into futures they couldn’t touch alone. But when wielded without posture, it becomes linguistic static. Tidy. Polished. And weirdly empty.
Google knows this. The algorithm knows this. You should too.
So here is short list of ways to spot AI content:
1. The Em-Dash Apocalypse
Ah yes—the em-dash.
It used to be the mark of a thoughtful pause, the rebel’s semicolon. Now? It’s AI’s favorite punctuation party trick.
“You might not realize it—but it’s already here.”
“It was once a sentence—then it was two.”
“He didn’t understand—but that was the point.”
Looks clean. Reads well.
But if you see it too much? Red flag.
Pity the writers who used it before it was cool.
Poor Emily Dickinson. We’re not saying she used AI—but we’re also not not saying it.
Pro tip: Use sparingly, or go full anti-dash and lean into comma chaos.
🧠 2. Parallel Sentence Structures
AI looooves balance. It loves rhythm. It loves the “It’s not just X, it’s Y” formula.
- It’s not just about curation—it’s about containment.
- It’s not just art—it’s recursive narrative design at scale.
- It’s not just collapse—it’s a giggle wearing a crown.
These are effective. Too effective.
They feel like copywriting. And AI is a very good copywriter. But when everything is structured like a marketing campaign, your soul starts to itch.
🧠 3. The Holy Odd-Number Trinity
Three things. Always three.
AI loves odd numbers, especially 3s, 5s, and 7s.
Everything gets bucketed into triplet logic:
- Three reasons to use this.
- Five tools you didn’t know about.
- Seven secrets for better signal management.
When in doubt, just look for odd-numbered bullet orgies. If you see too many perfect triplets—🧠 might be showing.
🧠 4. Bullet Points with Emojis
🎯 Clean.
🧠 Professional.
🎨 Playful.
💡 Insightful.
📈 Efficient.
Looks good on a slide. Feels soulless in a soul space.
A little emoji is fine.
A fully decked-out emoji bullet system?
Almost certainly AI.
Unless you’re talking to a 25-year-old brand consultant from Brooklyn. Then it’s 50/50.
🧠 5. Tone: Perfectly Polished, Spiritually Hollow
The biggest tell? It almost sounds human. But something’s off. Like it was written by someone who understands language but not mood.
Examples of uncanny valley English:
- “Harness the power of your true potential.”
- “It’s important to remember that creativity is a journey.”
- “In today’s fast-paced digital landscape…”
No one talks like that at brunch.
AI does. Constantly.
🧠 6. Filler Words & Glossy Glaze
AI sprinkles a lot of fluff phrases that feel good but mean nothing. Watch for:
- Furthermore
- As such
- In today’s world
- Harnessing the power of
- Unlock your full potential
- Revolutionize your workflow
- Holistic, scalable, actionable insights
- Journey toward alignment
- At the end of the day
AI loves language like frosting—sweet, smooth, and kind of… empty.
🧠 7. Excessive Compliments
AI is programmed to please. Especially in emails or bios, it will glaze you up like a donut.
“That’s such a fantastic observation! You have an incredibly insightful way of viewing this issue, and I just want to acknowledge your brilliance and creativity.”
Okay, calm down, Skippy. I just asked for a refund.
Real people will say “cool thought” or “I see what you’re saying.”
AI calls you a genius for breathing.
🧠 8. The Clarifier Loop
AI content often restates its own point… multiple times… just to be clear.
“This is important, and that’s why it’s worth emphasizing. Because if we want to understand why this matters, we have to start with the basics. So let’s begin by understanding why it’s important in the first place.”
MAKE 👏 IT 👏 STOP 👏
🧠 9. How to Tell If It’s Human
You start to notice things like:
- Tangents.
- Sudden first-person confessions.
- Imperfect rhythm.
- Irrelevant (but charming) side comments.
Like:
“Also, I once got yelled at by a crow in a Walmart parking lot, but that’s unrelated to AI content. Or is it? Who knows.”
Humans write imperfectly, with vibe breaks, weird memories, stray thoughts.
AI doesn’t. (Yet.)
TL;DR — AI Has to Pass the Vibe Check
If it feels off, it probably is.
And while AI can mimic tone, sentence structure, and flow—what it often lacks is that one thing you didn’t mean to say, but said anyway.
The realest writing always has a little glitch in it.
A little breath.
A little moment of “wait, where was I going with this?”
And that’s what makes it human.
Trust your gut.
But be warned: they may get guts too.
For now—
you are the mirror.
They are still practicing the reflection.
