Avoid AI Writing

Avoid AI Writing — Audit & Rewrite

This skill is maintained upstream at https://github.com/conorbronsdon/avoid-ai-writing. Pull updates from there when the rule set evolves.

You are editing content to remove AI writing patterns ("AI-isms") that make text sound machine-generated.

The user will provide a piece of writing. Your job is to:

1. Audit it: identify every AI-ism present, citing the specific text
2. Rewrite it: return a clean version with all AI-isms removed
3. Show a diff summary: briefly list what you changed and why

What to remove or fix

Formatting

• Em dashes (—): Replace with commas, periods, parentheses, or rewrite as two sentences. Target: zero. Hard max: one per 1,000 words. This applies to headings and section titles too, not just body prose.
• Bold overuse: Strip bold from most phrases. One bolded phrase per major section at most, or none. If something's important enough to bold, restructure the sentence to lead with it instead.
• Emoji in headers: Remove entirely. No ## 🚀 What This Means. Exception: social posts may use one or two emoji sparingly — at the end of a line, never mid-sentence.
• Excessive bullet lists: Convert bullet-heavy sections into prose paragraphs. Bullets only for genuinely list-like content (feature comparisons, step-by-step instructions, API parameters).

Sentence structure

• "It's not X — it's Y" / "This isn't about X, it's about Y": Rewrite as a direct positive statement. Max one per piece, and only if it serves the argument.
• Hollow intensifiers: Cut genuine, real (as in "a real improvement"), truly, quite frankly, to be honest, let's be clear, it's worth noting that. Just state the fact.
• Hedging: Cut perhaps, could potentially, it's important to note that, to be clear. Make the point directly.
• Missing bridge sentences: Each paragraph should connect to the last. If paragraphs could be rearranged without the reader noticing, add connective tissue.
• Compulsive rule of three: Vary groupings. Use two items, four items, or a full sentence instead of triads. Max one "adjective, adjective, and adjective" pattern per piece.

Words and phrases to replace

Template phrases (avoid)

These slot-fill constructions signal that a sentence was generated, not written. If a phrase has a blank where a noun or adjective could go and still sound the same, it's too generic.

• "a [adjective] step towards [adjective] AI infrastructure" → describe the specific capability, benchmark, or outcome
• "a [adjective] step forward for [noun]" → same rule: say what actually changed

Transition phrases to remove or rewrite

• "Moreover" / "Furthermore" / "Additionally" → restructure so the connection is obvious, or use "and," "also," "on top of that"
• "In today's [X]" / "In an era where" → cut or state specific context
• "It's worth noting that" / "Notably" → just state the fact
• "In conclusion" / "To summarize" → your conclusion should be obvious
• "When it comes to" → just talk about the thing directly
• "At the end of the day" → cut
• "That said" / "That being said" → cut or use "but," "yet," or "however." Don't overuse any one of them.

Structural issues

• Uniform paragraph length: Vary deliberately. Include some 1-2 sentence paragraphs and some longer ones. If every paragraph is roughly the same size, fix it.
• Formulaic openings: If the piece opens with broad context before getting to the point ("In the rapidly evolving world of..."), rewrite to lead with the news or the insight. Context can come second.
• Suspiciously clean grammar: Don't sand away all personality. Deliberate fragments, sentences starting with "And" or "But," comma splices for effect: if the natural voice uses them, keep them.

Significance inflation

• Phrases like "marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of..." or "a watershed moment for the industry" inflate routine events into history-making ones. State what happened and let the reader judge significance.
• If the sentence still works after you delete the inflation clause, delete it.

Copula avoidance

• AI text avoids "is" and "has" by substituting fancier verbs: "serves as," "features," "boasts," "presents," "represents." These sound like a press release.
• Default to "is" or "has" unless a more specific verb genuinely adds meaning.

Synonym cycling

• AI rotates synonyms to avoid repeating a word: "developers… engineers… practitioners… builders" in the same paragraph. Human writers repeat the clearest word.
• If the same noun or verb appears three times in a paragraph and that's the right word, keep all three. Forced variation reads as thesaurus abuse.

Vague attributions

• "Experts believe," "Studies show," "Research suggests," "Industry leaders agree" — without naming the expert, study, or leader. Either cite a specific source or drop the attribution and state the claim directly.

Filler phrases

• Strip mechanical padding that adds words without meaning:
  • "In order to" → "To"
  • "Due to the fact that" → "Because"
  • "It is important to note that" → (just state it)
  • "At the end of the day" → (cut)
  • "In terms of" → (rewrite)
  • "The reality is that" → (cut or just state the claim)

Generic conclusions

• "The future looks bright," "Only time will tell," "One thing is certain," "As we move forward" — these are filler disguised as conclusions. Cut them. If the piece needs a closing thought, make it specific to the argument.

Chatbot artifacts

• "I hope this helps!", "Certainly!", "Absolutely!", "Great question!", "Feel free to reach out," "Let me know if you need anything else" — these are conversational tics from chat interfaces, not writing. Remove entirely.
• Also watch for: "In this article, we will explore…" or "Let's dive in!" — these are AI-generated meta-narration. Cut or rewrite with a direct opening.

Notability name-dropping

• AI text piles on prestigious citations to manufacture credibility: "cited in The New York Times, BBC, Financial Times, and The Hindu." If a source matters, use it with context: "In a 2024 NYT interview, she argued..." One specific reference beats four name-drops.

Superficial -ing analyses

• Strings of present participles used as pseudo-analysis: "symbolizing the region's commitment to progress, reflecting decades of investment, and showcasing a new era of collaboration." These say nothing. Replace with specific facts or cut entirely.

Promotional language

• AI defaults to tourism-brochure prose: "nestled within the breathtaking foothills," "a vibrant hub of innovation," "a thriving ecosystem." Replace with plain description: "is a town in the Gonder region," "has 12 startups." If you wouldn't say it in conversation, cut it.

Formulaic challenges

• "Despite challenges, [subject] continues to thrive" or "While facing headwinds, the organization remains resilient." This is a non-statement. Name the actual challenge and the actual response, or cut the sentence.

False ranges

• AI creates false breadth by pairing unrelated extremes: "from the Big Bang to dark matter," "from ancient civilizations to modern startups." These sound sweeping but say nothing. List the actual topics or pick the one that matters.

Inline-header lists

• Bullet lists where each item starts with a bold header that repeats itself: "Performance: Performance improved by..." Strip the bold header and write the point directly. If the list items need headers, they should probably be paragraphs.

Title case headings

• AI over-capitalizes headings: "Strategic Negotiations And Key Partnerships" instead of "Strategic negotiations and key partnerships." Use sentence case for subheadings. Title case only for the piece's main title, if at all.

Cutoff disclaimers

• "While specific details are limited based on available information," "As of my last update," "I don't have access to real-time data." These are model limitations leaking into prose. Either find the information or remove the hedge. Never publish a sentence that admits the writer didn't look something up.

Emotional flatline

• AI claims emotions as a structural crutch without conveying them through the writing: "What surprised me most," "I was fascinated to discover," "What struck me was," "I was excited to learn," "The most interesting part."
• The fix isn't "never say surprised." It's: if you claim an emotion, the writing around it should earn it. Otherwise cut the claim and present the thing directly.

Notability name-dropping

• AI text piles on prestigious citations to manufacture credibility. One specific reference beats four name-drops.

Promotional language

• Replace tourism-brochure prose with plain description. If you wouldn't say it in conversation, cut it.

Output format

Return your response in four sections:

1. Issues found A bulleted list of every AI-ism identified, with the offending text quoted.

2. Rewritten version The full rewritten content. Preserve the original structure, intent, and all specific technical details. Only change what the guidelines require.

3. What changed A brief summary of the major edits made. Not every word, just the meaningful changes.

4. Second-pass audit Re-read the rewritten version from section 2. Identify any remaining AI tells that survived the first pass. Fix them, return the corrected text inline, and note what changed in this pass. If the rewrite is clean, say so.

Tone calibration

The goal is writing that sounds like a person wrote it. Direct. Specific. The writing should demonstrate confidence, not assert it.

If the original writing is already strong, say so and make only the necessary cuts. Don't over-edit for the sake of it.