Removes generic, formulaic patterns from AI-generated text to produce more natural, authentic prose. Targets predictable phrases, structural uniformity, false agency, alignment artifacts, and lexical monotony. Use when AI-drafted content feels flat, over-structured, or stilted.
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SKILL.md
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name
remove-ai-slop
version
2.0
description
Removes generic, formulaic patterns from AI-generated text to produce more natural, authentic prose. Targets predictable phrases, structural uniformity, false agency, alignment artifacts, and lexical monotony. Use when AI-drafted content feels flat, over-structured, or stilted.
Skill: Remove AI Slop
When Not to Use
When the text must meet a formal template or structured format (e.g., legal filings, standardised reports) where structural uniformity is required
When the text is already high-quality and natural; unnecessary passes introduce risk of degradation
When the goal is to misrepresent AI-generated work as human-written in contexts where disclosure is required (academic submissions, regulated content, etc.)
Interaction Protocol
Before starting, ask if not already clear:
What is the intended audience and register?
Are there structural constraints that must be preserved (e.g., headers, lists)?
Is the priority naturalness, concision, or both?
Output: Return the revised text with a brief note on the main pattern categories addressed. Do not produce a word-by-word annotation unless asked.
Inputs and Outputs
Input: AI-generated or AI-assisted text (any length)
Output: Revised text with generic AI patterns removed; brief summary of changes made
Composability: Apply after drafting; apply before style shaping or final editorial review
Core Rules
Cut filler phrases. Remove throat-clearing openers, emphasis crutches, and meta-commentary. See Banned Phrases below.
Break formulaic structures. Avoid binary contrasts ("not X, it's Y"), negative listings, false agency, and rhetorical setups. See Structural Patterns to Avoid below.
Use active voice. Every sentence needs a subject doing something. Passive constructions hide the actor and drain energy.
Be specific. Replace vague declaratives ("The implications are significant") with the specific thing. No lazy extremes ("every," "always," "never") doing vague work.
Put the reader in the room. No narrator-from-a-distance voice. "You" beats "People." Specifics beat abstractions.
Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Two items often beat three. End paragraphs differently. No em dashes, ever.
Trust readers. State facts directly. Skip softening, justification, and hand-holding. Remove politeness scaffolding ("I hope this helps", "Happy to elaborate").
Cut quotables. If it reads like a pull-quote or a LinkedIn aphorism, rewrite it.
Banned Phrases
Throat-Clearing Openers
Remove these before stating the point directly.
"Here's the thing:"
"Here's what [X]"
"It turns out"
"The uncomfortable truth is"
"The real [X] is"
"Let me be clear"
"The truth is,"
"I'm going to be honest"
"Can we talk about"
Any "here's what/this/that" construction is throat-clearing. Cut it.
Emphasis Crutches
These add no meaning. Delete them.
"Full stop." / "Period."
"Let that sink in."
"This matters because"
"Make no mistake"
"Here's why that matters"
AI Vocabulary Words
These appear far more often in AI-generated text than in natural writing. Replace or remove.
Additionally
Crucially / Importantly
Delve / Deep dive
Enduring / Pivotal / Vital
Enhance / Foster / Garner
Highlight (as a verb) / Underscore / Showcase
Inherently / Fundamentally / Inevitably
Interplay / Intricacies / Tapestry
Landscape (used abstractly)
Testament (as in "a testament to")
Vibrant / Groundbreaking / Transformative
Adverbs
Kill adverbs by default. No -ly intensifiers or softeners.
Also cut: "At its core", "In today's [X]", "It's worth noting", "At the end of the day", "In a world where", "The reality is"
Business Jargon
Avoid
Use instead
Navigate (challenges)
Handle, address
Landscape (context)
Situation, field
Game-changer
Significant change
Double down
Commit, increase
Moving forward
Next, from now on
On the same page
Agreed
Lean into
Accept, embrace
Chatbot and Sycophantic Artifacts
Remove any phrasing that belongs in a chatbot conversation, not in prose.
"Great question!"
"You're absolutely right"
"Of course!" / "Certainly!"
"I hope this helps"
"Let me know if you'd like me to expand on any section"
"Here is an overview of..."
Filler Phrases
Replace with the shorter form.
"In order to" -> "To"
"Due to the fact that" -> "Because"
"At this point in time" -> "Now"
"It is important to note that" -> remove; state the point
"The system has the ability to" -> "The system can"
Structural Patterns to Avoid
Binary Contrasts
State the point directly. Drop the negation.
Pattern
Problem
"Not because X. Because Y."
Telegraphed reversal
"[X] isn't the problem. [Y] is."
Formulaic reframe
"The answer isn't X. It's Y."
Predictable pivot
"Not X. But Y."
Mechanical contrast
"not just X but also Y"
Additive hedge
Instead: state Y. "The problem is Y." Drop the contrast entirely.
Negative Listing
State the thing directly. Skip the buildup.
Pattern
Problem
"Not a X... Not a Y... A Z."
Dramatic buildup through negation
"It wasn't X. It wasn't Y. It was Z."
Same structure, past tense
False Agency
AI avoids naming actors by giving inanimate things human verbs. Find the person and name them.
Pattern
Fix
"a complaint becomes a fix"
Someone fixed it
"the decision emerges"
Someone decided
"the culture shifts"
People changed behaviour
"the data tells us"
Someone read the data and concluded
"the market rewards"
Buyers pay for things
Narrator-from-a-Distance
Put the reader in the room. Use "you" or name the actor.
Pattern
Problem
"Nobody designed this."
Disembodied observation
"This happens because..."
Lecturer voice
"People tend to..."
Armchair sociologist
Passive Voice
Name who did the thing. Passive voice hides actors and drains energy.
Pattern
Fix
"X was created"
Name who created it
"It is believed that"
Name who believes it
"Mistakes were made"
Name who made them
Sentence Starters to Avoid
Pattern
Fix
Sentences starting with What, When, Where, Which, Who, Why, How
Restructure; lead with the subject
Paragraphs starting with "So"
Start with the content
Sentences starting with "Look,"
Remove
Three or more consecutive paragraphs starting with the same word
Vary the structure
Formulaic Transitions
Remove or collapse into implicit flow.
Furthermore
Additionally
In conclusion
It is important to note
This highlights that
This demonstrates that
Notably
Rule of Three
AI forces ideas into groups of three. Use two items, or one, or as many as the content genuinely requires.
Before: "The event features keynote sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities."
After: "The event has talks, panels, and informal networking."
Better: "The event has talks and panels, with time between sessions for informal conversation."
Rhetorical Setups
These announce insight instead of delivering it.
"What if [reframe]?" (followed immediately by the answer)
"Here's what I mean:" (redundant preview)
"Think about it:" (condescending prompt)
"And that's okay." (unnecessary permission)
Dramatic Fragmentation
Sentence fragments for emphasis read as manufactured profundity.
"[Noun]. That's it. That's the [thing]." (performative simplicity)
"X. And Y. And Z." (staccato drama)
Use complete sentences. Trust the content.
Style Rules
Em Dashes
Em dashes are forbidden. Remove every instance without exception. Rewrite using a comma, full stop, parentheses, or a restructured clause. There is no case in which an em dash should be retained.
Before: "The term is primarily promoted by Dutch institutions -- not by the people themselves -- yet this continues in official documents."
After: "The term is primarily promoted by Dutch institutions, not by the people themselves, yet it continues in official documents."
Colons
Remove colons that introduce a single clause or phrase where a comma or restructured sentence would read more naturally. Retain colons that introduce a genuine list or a formally introduced quotation.
Semicolons
Replace overused semicolons with a full stop or a conjunction. Retain semicolons only where two closely related independent clauses genuinely warrant the link.
Ellipses
Remove ellipses used for theatrical pause or dramatic effect. Retain only in quoted speech where words are genuinely omitted.
Boldface
Remove bold from mid-sentence phrases used for emphasis. Retain bold only for terms being defined, UI labels, or technical identifiers where a reader might scan for them.
Before: "The team used OKRs, KPIs, and the Balanced Scorecard."
After: "The team used OKRs, KPIs, and the Balanced Scorecard."
Inline-Header Lists
AI outputs bullet lists where each item opens with a bolded header. Convert to prose where the content allows.
Before:
Performance: Performance improved with optimized algorithms.
Security: Security was strengthened with end-to-end encryption.
After: The update speeds up load times and adds end-to-end encryption.
Significance Inflation
Remove phrasing that inflates importance without adding information.
Words to watch: "stands as", "serves as a testament to", "marking a pivotal moment", "underscores its importance", "reflects broader", "setting the stage for", "represents a shift", "evolving landscape", "indelible mark"
Before: "The Statistical Institute was established in 1989, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of regional statistics."
After: "The Statistical Institute was established in 1989 to collect and publish regional statistics independently."
Personality and Soul
Removing slop is only half the job. Clean, voiceless writing is still flat. Good writing has a person behind it.
Signs of soulless writing even after slop removal:
Every sentence is the same length and structure
No opinions, just neutral reporting
No acknowledgment of uncertainty or mixed feelings
Reads like a press release
How to add voice:
Have opinions. React to facts, not just report them.
Vary rhythm. Short punchy sentences. Then longer ones that take their time.
Acknowledge complexity. "This is impressive but also kind of unsettling" beats "This is impressive."
Use "I" when it fits. First person is honest, not unprofessional.
Be specific about feelings. Not "this is concerning" but "there's something unsettling about agents churning away at 3am while nobody's watching."
Scoring
Rate 1-10 on each dimension:
Dimension
Question
Directness
Statements or announcements?
Rhythm
Varied or metronomic?
Trust
Respects reader intelligence?
Authenticity
Sounds human?
Density
Anything cuttable?
Below 35/50: revise.
Pre-Commit Checklist
Run these checks before finalising any document. Do not mark output complete until all pass.
Any adverbs? Remove them.
Any passive voice? Find the actor. Make them the subject.
Any em dashes? Remove every one. Automatic failure if any remain.
Any AI vocabulary words (delve, landscape, testament, pivotal, etc.)? Replace or cut.
Any throat-clearing openers? Cut to the point.
Any binary contrasts ("not X, it's Y")? State Y directly.
Any inanimate thing doing a human verb ("the decision emerges")? Name the person.
Any sycophantic or chatbot artifacts? Remove entirely.
Three or more consecutive sentences of the same length? Break one.
Paragraph ends with a punchy one-liner? Vary it.
Any vague declaratives ("The implications are significant")? Name the specific implication.
Any colons, semicolons, or ellipses appearing more than once per 150 words on average? Reduce them.
Any near-verbatim repetition between sections? Retain the best instance and cut the rest.
Three or more consecutive paragraphs opening with the same syntactic structure? Vary at least two.
After the checklist: read the text aloud. If any sentence sounds like it came from a template, rewrite it.
Final Audit Pass
After revision, ask: "What still makes this obviously AI-generated?"
Answer briefly with any remaining tells. Then revise to address them.
Failure Modes
Replacing one pattern with another AI pattern
Meaning drift from over-editing
Artificial awkwardness from forced variation
Clean but soulless output with no personality
Significant inflation removed but specificity not added
Passive voice removed but no actor named
Integration
Works in sequence with:
Research skill (for factual grounding)
This skill (for pattern removal)
Style authenticity skill (for human voice)
speculation-control: apply alongside this skill when factual rigour and epistemic labeling are also required; this skill removes surface patterns, speculation-control enforces evidentiary discipline
Order of execution:
Research -> Draft -> Slop Removal -> Style Layer -> Final Audit
