Nowadays, more and more writing assignments are supported or even finished with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). If you use a large‐language model to generate blog posts, create advertising copy, or assist academic writing, the temptation is strong: AI produces fast, shiny writing.
But most in jeopardy is the human touch. Your readers will lose interest if your writing is too formal, too robotic. So here’s the question: when the computer writes the words, how do you stay human?
The following are tips you can apply today to keep the human voice alive, even if you begin with a computer-generated draft.
1. Recognize what gives writing its human flavor
We shall start off by explaining what makes human-written text different from direct AI output. Scholars explain that human writing will be more varied in vocabulary, more varied in structure, and will convey subtle expressions of cognition and emotion that AI less effectively conveys.
AI-texted material is prone to include generic phrasing, long sentences, excessive use of passive voice, and reduced telling detail.
See that and you have a recipe: to stay human, you have to add variation, character, and loving detail.
2. Use everyday language and vary your sentence length
One of the quickest tips for demonstrating “human writing” is to apply less advanced vocabulary, contractions, and diversity in sentence length. For example, rather than:
“It is important that the person thinks about a range of alternatives…”
You could write:
“Consider your choices. What’s an alternative?”
Briefer sentences, everyday language, and less formal markers assist.
Also, blend short and long sentences. Human authors hesitate, stutter, wander do not write flawlessly, even in paragraphs. Dissect text, add pieces in spots where needed, and let voice have room to breathe.
3. Add personal touches, emotion, and stories
Human writing involves people because it gives a sense of the individual beyond the words. You can create that by:
- inserting a brief anecdote (“I once found myself…”)
- speaking in the first or second person (“you”, “we”) if and where appropriate
- inserting a brief reflection (“I realized that…”)
AI will write good facts and smooth text, but it rarely introduces genuine personality or emotional nuance.
You don’t have a long history to share. Even two sentences: “I felt a queasy moment of doubt when the draft read too neatly. That’s when I stopped and rewrote.” It lets your reader know you’re human.
4. Be specific and concrete
Generalities will make writing taste dull, however grammatically correct. Humans will find themselves drawn to specifics: a name, an hour, a location, a minute detail. Such as:
“Last Tuesday I sat in a café, looked out at the rain, and typed the opening sentence.”
Compared to
“Writing can feel distant when you leave out that moment of epiphany.”
The first gives readers imagery, setting, and relationships. When you are revising an AI‐draft, read for vague sentences (“some people,” “many things,” “it helps”) and replace them with specifics you know and care about.
5. Keep your voice consistent
One of the issues with AI‐drafts is tone drift; later sentences may suddenly alter style, vocabulary, or formality.
Read your draft aloud (or mentally) before publishing and consider: “Does this sound like me from beginning to end?” If the beginning is informal (“Hey there!”) and the end is formal (“It is advised…”), you will confuse your reader.
Choose a tone: friendly, commanding, reflective, and stick with it. When you catch yourself speaking in jargon or formal language, swap it with your own voice.
6. Edit for human rhythm and flow
Editing is where you bring the piece to sound lived‐in. Some tips for editing are:
- Break passive voice into active. (“The report was reviewed by me” → “I reviewed the report.”)
- Add little transitions: “On the other hand,” “Here’s what surprised me,” “Then I realized…”
- Delete redundant phrases or too-long sentences.
- Laugh at your writing: ask “Would I say it this way if I were speaking?” If not, rewrite.
These gestures strip away the robotic sheen. Editorial experts recommend them when they edit AI‐produced work.
7. Use tools, but don’t outsource your humanity
There are tools labeled “AI humanizer” that promise to turn machine‐like writing into human‐like writing; for example, the tool at Ai Essay Humanizer. These can be useful if you’re working from an AI draft and want a quick polish.
But remember: the tool will not create your lived experience, your voice, or real insight. The tool may assist, but your voice must be yours. Use the tool as a tool, never a replacement.
8. Incorporate small imperfections
Only humans have little imperfections: a momentary aside, a catchphrase, a rhetorical question. These don’t detract from quality; these give authenticity. For instance: “Ever get that feeling something’s off?” You can just end a short sentence fragment for emphasis: “Just for a moment.”
Conversely, AI “correction” is too neat. High to light fault it’s a signature of the existence of human beings. One Redditor offers that version history, variation, and human editing remain the best signals of human presence.
9. Use analogies and concrete metaphors rather than abstract flourishes
AI employs general or sweeping metaphors (“a fine dance between X and Y”). Style guides recommend choosing plain analogies or metaphors in terms of common experience can make writing more readable.
Example: “Writing with AI is akin to ordering pre-cooked pasta you still need to add spices yourself.” Such imagery renders the writing readable at a common-sense level. Don’t go overboard; just one or two brush strokes will do.
10. Reflect on ethical and editorial matters
Using AI to write does not absolve you of editorial responsibility. You’re liable for the content: accuracy, tone, originality. Researchers in one study of AI applications to academic writing cite six primary areas where AI can assist but where human intervention is also required (idea generation, structure, synthesis of literature, management of data, editing, and compliance with ethics).
You can also ask yourself: “Did the AI get context right? Are there any biases? Does the language capture my audience in the right manner?” Use the AI draft as a first draft. Then, humanize.
11. Final checklist before you publish
Here is a handy checklist to make your writing human:
- Did I vary the length and pattern of sentences?
- Did I use some plain language and avoid over‐formal phrases?
- Did I inject some personal touch, anecdote, or viewpoint?
- Are there specific details or specific examples?
- Is my tone congruent?
- Did I eliminate any wooden-sounding phrasing, genuinely long passive sentences, or dry abstractions?
- Did I proofread with tools if necessary (for grammar, for humanizing), but keep the final voice mine?
- Did I verify the accuracy and ethical dimensions of the content?
If you answer “yes” to most of these, you’re in good shape.
Conclusion
AI writing tools can be so helpful, but if the output sounds like a machine, you’ll lose the reader. By focusing on language that sounds like your normal words, variations, specific details, and personal touches, you keep the human presence in your writing. You can even start your draft from an AI, but the final version must sound like no one else could have written it.
Use an AI‐draft as a starting place, not a finish line. Let your voice guide the editing, your expertise inform the examples, your personality infuse the phrasing. That way, the writing will sound human, no matter how fast the technology is evolving.
