AI Writing Anti-Patterns
Field guide for detecting and revising AI-generated content indicators based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide.
When to Use
Invoke this skill:
- Before finalizing ANY AI-assisted writing
- When reviewing text for AI writing indicators
- When editing content to sound more natural
- After completing writing tasks (automatic via hooks)
The Iron Law
Check every piece of AI-assisted writing against these patterns before submission.
This is not optional. AI writing patterns are detectable and undermine credibility.
Quick Screening Order
Start with the most objective indicators:
| Priority |
Section |
What to Check |
| 1 |
ChatGPT Artifacts |
turn0search0, oaicite, contentReference |
| 2 |
Citation Problems |
Hallucinated DOIs, dead links, non-existent sources |
| 3 |
Prompt Refusals |
"As an AI language model...", "I hope this helps" |
| 4 |
Puffery |
"stands as", "plays a vital role", "rich tapestry" |
| 5 |
Structure |
Section summaries, "Despite challenges", rule of three |
Critical Patterns to Avoid
CRITICAL Severity (Immediate Revision Required)
These patterns are unambiguous AI artifacts:
ChatGPT-Specific Artifacts:
turn0search0, turn1search2 (internal search references)oaicite:X (citation placeholders)contentReference[oaicite:X] (unresolved references)- JSON attribution blocks in output
Prompt Refusals:
- "As an AI language model..."
- "I cannot provide..."
- "I hope this helps!"
- "I hope this email finds you well"
HIGH Severity (Strong Revision Recommended)
Puffery and Exaggeration:
- "stands as" (a testament/example/beacon)
- "plays a vital/crucial/pivotal role"
- "rich tapestry of"
- "nestled in/among"
- "it's important to note that"
- "delves into"
- "the landscape of"
Promotional Language:
- "groundbreaking", "transformative", "revolutionary"
- "unparalleled", "unprecedented"
- "cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art"
MEDIUM Severity (Review and Consider)
Structural Patterns:
- Section summaries that repeat the heading
- "Despite [challenge], [positive outcome]" formula
- Negative parallelisms: "However... Nevertheless..."
- Rule of three: exactly three examples every time
- Weasel wording: "some experts say", "it is believed"
Stylistic Quirks:
- Elegant variation (synonym cycling to avoid repetition)
- False ranges ("from X to Y" without real data)
- Title Case In All Headings
- Em dash overuse (—)
- Excessive boldface for emphasis
How to Revise
For Puffery
| AI Pattern |
Human Alternative |
| "stands as a testament to" |
"shows" or "demonstrates" |
| "plays a vital role in" |
"affects" or just state the effect |
| "rich tapestry of" |
describe specifically what it contains |
| "nestled in the heart of" |
"in" or "located in" |
| "delves into" |
"examines" or "covers" |
For Structure
| AI Pattern |
Human Alternative |
| Section summary of heading |
Start with substance, not meta-commentary |
| "Despite challenges..." |
State the reality directly without formula |
| Exactly three examples |
Use the number that fits: 2, 4, 5, or just 1 |
| "It's important to note" |
Just state the important thing |
For Promotional Language
| AI Pattern |
Human Alternative |
| "groundbreaking" |
describe what it actually does |
| "revolutionary" |
compare to what came before |
| "cutting-edge" |
specify the technology |
| "transformative" |
show the transformation with evidence |
Reference Files
For detailed patterns and extensive examples, consult:
| File |
Contents |
references/_index.md |
Overview and quick screening guide |
references/01-puffery-and-exaggeration.md |
"Stands as", superficial analyses |
references/02-promotional-language.md |
"Rich tapestry", disclaimers |
references/03-structural-patterns.md |
Section summaries, negative parallelisms |
references/04-stylistic-quirks.md |
Elegant variation, false ranges |
references/05-formatting-and-typography.md |
Boldface, em dashes, emojis |
references/06-communication-patterns.md |
Subject lines, "I hope this helps" |
references/07-template-artifacts.md |
Mad Libs patterns, placeholders |
references/08-markup-issues.md |
Markdown vs wikitext confusion |
references/09-chatgpt-specific-artifacts.md |
turn0search, oaicite |
references/10-citation-problems.md |
Hallucinated DOIs, dead links |
references/11-meta-indicators.md |
Abrupt cutoffs, style discrepancies |
Automatic Detection
This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically scan Write/Edit output for anti-patterns. When patterns are detected:
- Hook emits a warning with specific patterns found
- Claude immediately revises the content
- Revision removes or replaces flagged patterns
The hook checks for all CRITICAL and HIGH severity patterns automatically.
Red Flags - Stop If You Think
| Thought |
Why It's Wrong |
Do Instead |
| "This sounds professional" |
AI puffery sounds generic, not professional |
Use concrete, specific language |
| "I'll add emphasis" |
"Very important" and bold are AI tells |
Let content speak for itself |
| "Let me summarize the section" |
Section summaries are formulaic |
Start with substance |
| "Three examples is a good number" |
Rule of three is an AI pattern |
Use the right number for the content |
Key Principles
From Wikipedia's guide:
- These are signs, not proof - Multiple indicators strengthen the case
- Context matters - Some patterns appear in human writing too
- Focus on deeper issues - Surface defects point to synthesis and quality problems
- Don't rely on detection tools - Human judgment required
Related Skills
/writing - Core writing principles from Elements of Style/writing-legal - Legal writing (Phase 2)/writing-econ - Economics writing (Phase 2)
1---2name: ai-anti-patterns3description: This skill should be used when reviewing AI-generated text, checking for AI writing patterns, detecting undisclosed AI content, or before finalizing any written content. Covers 12 categories of AI writing indicators from Wikipedia's comprehensive guide.4---56# AI Writing Anti-Patterns78Field guide for detecting and revising AI-generated content indicators based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide.910## When to Use1112Invoke this skill:13- Before finalizing ANY AI-assisted writing14- When reviewing text for AI writing indicators15- When editing content to sound more natural16- After completing writing tasks (automatic via hooks)1718## The Iron Law1920**Check every piece of AI-assisted writing against these patterns before submission.**2122This is not optional. AI writing patterns are detectable and undermine credibility.2324## Quick Screening Order2526Start with the most objective indicators:2728| Priority | Section | What to Check |29|----------|---------|---------------|30| 1 | ChatGPT Artifacts | `turn0search0`, `oaicite`, `contentReference` |31| 2 | Citation Problems | Hallucinated DOIs, dead links, non-existent sources |32| 3 | Prompt Refusals | "As an AI language model...", "I hope this helps" |33| 4 | Puffery | "stands as", "plays a vital role", "rich tapestry" |34| 5 | Structure | Section summaries, "Despite challenges", rule of three |3536## Critical Patterns to Avoid3738### CRITICAL Severity (Immediate Revision Required)3940These patterns are unambiguous AI artifacts:4142**ChatGPT-Specific Artifacts:**43- `turn0search0`, `turn1search2` (internal search references)44- `oaicite:X` (citation placeholders)45- `contentReference[oaicite:X]` (unresolved references)46- JSON attribution blocks in output4748**Prompt Refusals:**49- "As an AI language model..."50- "I cannot provide..."51- "I hope this helps!"52- "I hope this email finds you well"5354### HIGH Severity (Strong Revision Recommended)5556**Puffery and Exaggeration:**57- "stands as" (a testament/example/beacon)58- "plays a vital/crucial/pivotal role"59- "rich tapestry of"60- "nestled in/among"61- "it's important to note that"62- "delves into"63- "the landscape of"6465**Promotional Language:**66- "groundbreaking", "transformative", "revolutionary"67- "unparalleled", "unprecedented"68- "cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art"6970### MEDIUM Severity (Review and Consider)7172**Structural Patterns:**73- Section summaries that repeat the heading74- "Despite [challenge], [positive outcome]" formula75- Negative parallelisms: "However... Nevertheless..."76- Rule of three: exactly three examples every time77- Weasel wording: "some experts say", "it is believed"7879**Stylistic Quirks:**80- Elegant variation (synonym cycling to avoid repetition)81- False ranges ("from X to Y" without real data)82- Title Case In All Headings83- Em dash overuse (—)84- Excessive boldface for emphasis8586## How to Revise8788### For Puffery8990| AI Pattern | Human Alternative |91|------------|-------------------|92| "stands as a testament to" | "shows" or "demonstrates" |93| "plays a vital role in" | "affects" or just state the effect |94| "rich tapestry of" | describe specifically what it contains |95| "nestled in the heart of" | "in" or "located in" |96| "delves into" | "examines" or "covers" |9798### For Structure99100| AI Pattern | Human Alternative |101|------------|-------------------|102| Section summary of heading | Start with substance, not meta-commentary |103| "Despite challenges..." | State the reality directly without formula |104| Exactly three examples | Use the number that fits: 2, 4, 5, or just 1 |105| "It's important to note" | Just state the important thing |106107### For Promotional Language108109| AI Pattern | Human Alternative |110|------------|-------------------|111| "groundbreaking" | describe what it actually does |112| "revolutionary" | compare to what came before |113| "cutting-edge" | specify the technology |114| "transformative" | show the transformation with evidence |115116## Reference Files117118For detailed patterns and extensive examples, consult:119120| File | Contents |121|------|----------|122| `references/_index.md` | Overview and quick screening guide |123| `references/01-puffery-and-exaggeration.md` | "Stands as", superficial analyses |124| `references/02-promotional-language.md` | "Rich tapestry", disclaimers |125| `references/03-structural-patterns.md` | Section summaries, negative parallelisms |126| `references/04-stylistic-quirks.md` | Elegant variation, false ranges |127| `references/05-formatting-and-typography.md` | Boldface, em dashes, emojis |128| `references/06-communication-patterns.md` | Subject lines, "I hope this helps" |129| `references/07-template-artifacts.md` | Mad Libs patterns, placeholders |130| `references/08-markup-issues.md` | Markdown vs wikitext confusion |131| `references/09-chatgpt-specific-artifacts.md` | turn0search, oaicite |132| `references/10-citation-problems.md` | Hallucinated DOIs, dead links |133| `references/11-meta-indicators.md` | Abrupt cutoffs, style discrepancies |134135## Automatic Detection136137This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically scan Write/Edit output for anti-patterns. When patterns are detected:1381391. Hook emits a warning with specific patterns found1402. Claude immediately revises the content1413. Revision removes or replaces flagged patterns142143The hook checks for all CRITICAL and HIGH severity patterns automatically.144145## Red Flags - Stop If You Think146147| Thought | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead |148|---------|----------------|------------|149| "This sounds professional" | AI puffery sounds generic, not professional | Use concrete, specific language |150| "I'll add emphasis" | "Very important" and bold are AI tells | Let content speak for itself |151| "Let me summarize the section" | Section summaries are formulaic | Start with substance |152| "Three examples is a good number" | Rule of three is an AI pattern | Use the right number for the content |153154## Key Principles155156From Wikipedia's guide:1571581. **These are signs, not proof** - Multiple indicators strengthen the case1592. **Context matters** - Some patterns appear in human writing too1603. **Focus on deeper issues** - Surface defects point to synthesis and quality problems1614. **Don't rely on detection tools** - Human judgment required162163## Related Skills164165- `/writing` - Core writing principles from Elements of Style166- `/writing-legal` - Legal writing (Phase 2)167- `/writing-econ` - Economics writing (Phase 2)
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