remove-ai-slop

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:

1. What is the intended audience and register?
2. Are there structural constraints that must be preserved (e.g., headers, lists)?
3. 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

1. Cut filler phrases. Remove throat-clearing openers, emphasis crutches, and meta-commentary. See Banned Phrases below.

2. Break formulaic structures. Avoid binary contrasts ("not X, it's Y"), negative listings, false agency, and rhetorical setups. See Structural Patterns to Avoid below.

3. Use active voice. Every sentence needs a subject doing something. Passive constructions hide the actor and drain energy.

4. Be specific. Replace vague declaratives ("The implications are significant") with the specific thing. No lazy extremes ("every," "always," "never") doing vague work.

5. Put the reader in the room. No narrator-from-a-distance voice. "You" beats "People." Specifics beat abstractions.

6. Vary rhythm. Mix sentence lengths. Two items often beat three. End paragraphs differently. No em dashes, ever.

7. Trust readers. State facts directly. Skip softening, justification, and hand-holding. Remove politeness scaffolding ("I hope this helps", "Happy to elaborate").

8. 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.

Common offenders: really, just, literally, genuinely, honestly, simply, actually, deeply, truly, interestingly, crucially

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 Wh- sentence starters (What, When, Where, Who, Why, How)? Restructure.
• 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:

1. Research skill (for factual grounding)
2. This skill (for pattern removal)
3. Style authenticity skill (for human voice)
4. 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