anti-ai-writing

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.

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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"

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Application to Cover Letters

1. Open with something specific - not "I am writing to express my interest"
2. Name actual projects - not "various initiatives"
3. Include a flaw or limitation - AI never admits weakness
4. Use contractions - "I've" not "I have"
5. Vary paragraph length - AI makes them uniform
6. Skip the "in conclusion" paragraph - just end
7. Reference something specific about the company - not generic mission praise

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Quick Checklist Before Sending

• No "delve," "tapestry," "multifaceted," "pivotal," "testament"
• Em dashes < 2 per document
• No "it's important to note" or "at its core"
• At least one contraction
• Varied paragraph lengths
• No sycophantic opener
• Specific details, not generic claims
• No perfect three-point structure unless it's genuinely three things

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Sources: Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing, Fast Company analysis