How to Tell If AI Wrote That Blog Post (And Why It Doesn’t Really Matter)
In content creation, the rise of artificial intelligence has sparked a heated debate. Can you really tell if an article was written by a human or an AI? And does it even matter?
Well, buckle up, because today we’re diving headfirst into this conundrum. And spoiler alert: the answer might surprise you.
The Telltale Signs (According to the Experts)
Recently, I stumbled upon an interesting piece by industry colleague Jacob Trier from Público. In his blog post, he outlined five telltale signs that a text was AI-generated:
- The Uninspiring Introduction: You know the one—filled with vague trivialities and lacking any real hook or substance.
- The Monotonous Tone: AI-written content often falls victim to a dull, monotonous voice with little variation in sentence structure.
- The Rigid Structure: Many AI-generated articles follow a predictable, formulaic structure that lacks creativity or flow.
- The Superficial Content: AI-written pieces tend to skim the surface, lacking depth or nuanced insights.
- The Telltale Word Choices: Certain words or phrases can be dead giveaways that an AI was behind the keyboard.
Now, while Jacob makes some valid points, I can’t help but feel like he’s missing the bigger picture here.
It’s Not the AI’s Fault—It’s the Prompting!
Let’s be real: AI models like ChatGPT are just tools. They’re not the ones to blame for uninspiring intros or monotonous tones. That’s on us, the humans using them.
You see, the key to unlocking the true potential of AI in content creation lies in the prompting. It’s all about how you guide and instruct the AI model.
Want an engaging introduction? Prompt the AI to start in medias res—jump right into the heart of the story. Looking for a more conversational tone? Instruct the model to write as if speaking to a specific audience or persona.
And let’s not forget the power of post-production edits. A little human touch-up can go a long way in injecting personality, varying sentence structures, and eliminating those pesky “AI words” that Jacob warned us about.
The Beauty of Content Clusters
Now, I’ll give Jacob this: AI-generated content can sometimes feel a bit… surface-level. But here’s the thing: that’s not always a bad thing.
Imagine creating a content cluster around a broad topic. You kick things off with an introductory, high-level piece written by your AI pal. Then, for each subtopic or nuanced aspect, you dive deeper with dedicated, in-depth articles.
It’s the best of both worlds: efficient, scalable content creation paired with human expertise and insights.
The Human Touch
Speaking of human expertise, let’s not underestimate the value of good ol’ fashioned human input in the content creation process.
Instead of just feeding your AI a broad prompt, try this: Start by brainstorming interesting topics and angles yourself. Then, provide the AI with your insights, examples, and personal experiences as prompts.
This collaborative approach combines the efficiency of AI with the depth and nuance that only a human can bring. It’s a win-win, my friends.
In the End, Does It Really Matter?
Look, I get it. There’s a certain mystique and romance around the idea of content being solely the product of human creativity and intellect. But in today’s fast-paced, content-hungry world, is that really a luxury we can afford?
AI-assisted content creation is here to stay, and it’s only going to become more sophisticated and seamless. So instead of wasting energy trying to spot the “AI words” or the “rigid structure,” why not embrace the technology and focus on creating genuinely valuable, engaging content for your audience?
At the end of the day, your readers don’t care whether the words were typed by a human or an AI. They care about the quality of the information, the insights, and the value they’re getting.
So let’s stop getting caught up in the “AI vs. human” debate and start focusing on what really matters: creating kickass content that resonates with our audiences.
Because honestly? That’s the only telltale sign that should matter.
