| name | anti-ai-writing |
| description | Style guide for writing that doesn't sound AI-generated. Use when drafting cover letters, emails, or any professional communication. |
Anti-AI Writing Style Guide
Based on Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing
Core Principle
LLMs regress to statistical mean - producing the most "average" likely text. Human writing has specificity, rough edges, and personality. Write like a specific person, not a median of all writers.
Words to AVOID (AI Vocabulary)
These words appeared far more frequently after 2023. One or two may be coincidental; clusters are a strong tell.
Overused Verbs
- delve, dive into, navigate, leverage, foster, underscore, highlight
- harness, spearhead, bolster, augment, revolutionize
- resonate, captivate, culminate
Overused Adjectives
- multifaceted, nuanced, intricate, comprehensive, pivotal
- groundbreaking, transformative, cutting-edge, innovative
- vibrant, dynamic, robust, seamless
Overused Nouns
- tapestry, realm, landscape, paradigm, synergy
- cornerstone, testament, beacon, catalyst
- milestone, benchmark, framework
Overused Phrases
- "serves as a testament to"
- "marks a crucial/pivotal moment"
- "underscoring the importance of"
- "a testament to [X]'s enduring legacy"
- "in the realm of"
- "it's important to note that"
- "at its core"
- "in today's [X] landscape"
Formatting Tells
Avoid
- Em dashes (—) overuse - use commas, periods, or parentheses instead
- Excessive bullet points and lists where prose would work
- Title Case In Section Headings (use sentence case)
- Bold for emphasis on obvious points
- Markdown artifacts (asterisks, underscores)
- Numbered lists for non-sequential items
Prefer
- Short, varied sentence structure
- Occasional fragments. Like this.
- Parentheticals (when genuinely useful)
- Specific details over general claims
Content Tells
"Puffed-up Importance" - AVOID
AI inflates significance of mundane facts:
- "This represents a paradigm shift in..."
- "A groundbreaking approach that revolutionizes..."
- "Symbolizing its enduring legacy..."
- "A pivotal moment in the evolution of..."
Instead: Be specific and let importance speak for itself
- Bad: "This groundbreaking tool revolutionizes the field"
- Good: "This tool processes 10M sequences in 3 minutes"
Hedging and False Balance - AVOID
- "While opinions vary..."
- "It's worth noting that..."
- "On one hand... on the other hand..."
Instead: Make direct claims you can support
Structure Tells
AI loves:
- Exactly 3 examples/points (the "rule of three")
- Identical parallel structure across items
- Topic sentence → 3 supporting points → concluding sentence
- Smooth transitions between every paragraph
Human writing has:
- Variable list lengths (2, 4, 7 items)
- Imperfect parallelism
- Abrupt transitions when the thought changes
- Occasional tangents
Voice Tells
AI voice (AVOID):
- Consistently neutral, authoritative tone
- Never uncertain or self-deprecating
- Overly polished and "professional"
- Sycophantic enthusiasm ("Great question!")
- Perfect grammar throughout
Human voice (PREFER):
- Opinions and personality
- Acknowledging uncertainty: "I'm not sure, but..."
- Colloquialisms and contractions
- Occasional rough edges
- Specific references to personal experience
Application to Cover Letters
- Open with something specific - not "I am writing to express my interest"
- Name actual projects - not "various initiatives"
- Include a flaw or limitation - AI never admits weakness
- Use contractions - "I've" not "I have"
- Vary paragraph length - AI makes them uniform
- Skip the "in conclusion" paragraph - just end
- Reference something specific about the company - not generic mission praise
Quick Checklist Before Sending
Sources: Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing, Fast Company analysis
