Remove AI Tells

Remove AI Tells

I'll scan a document for patterns that signal AI-generated writing, report what was found and what percentage of the document reads as AI-written, then ask before making any changes.

Token Optimization

Expected range: 400–900 tokens (detection + report), 50–100 tokens (early exit when file is clean), 600–1,500 tokens (detection + removal)

Patterns used: Grep-before-Read, early exit, progressive disclosure, git diff scope default

Early exit: If none of the grep patterns match, report "No AI tells found" and stop immediately.

Two-phase design: Detection (Steps 1–3) always runs cheaply. Removal (Steps 5–6) only runs after user confirms in Step 4.

Step 1 — Identify Target File(s)

Resolution order — use the first that yields a valid file:

1. Explicit argument — /remove-ai-tells docs/report.md
2. IDE active file — if <ide_opened_file> has a doc extension (.md, .txt, .rst, .adoc) and no argument was given, use it.
3. Staged doc files — any staged files with a doc extension.
4. Ask — if none of the above yield a target, prompt the user.

declare -a TARGETS

if [[ -n "$ARGUMENTS" ]]; then
    read -r -a TARGETS <<< "$ARGUMENTS"
elif [[ -n "$IDE_ACTIVE_FILE" ]] && echo "$IDE_ACTIVE_FILE" | grep -qE '\.(md|txt|rst|adoc)$'; then
    TARGETS=("$IDE_ACTIVE_FILE")
    echo "Using IDE active file: $IDE_ACTIVE_FILE"
elif ! git diff --cached --quiet; then
    mapfile -t TARGETS < <(git diff --cached --name-only -- '*.md' '*.txt' '*.rst' '*.adoc')
else
    echo "No target file specified and no staged doc files found."
    echo "Usage: /remove-ai-tells <file>"
    exit 1
fi

if (( ${#TARGETS[@]} == 0 )); then
    echo "No doc files found."
    exit 1
fi

printf 'Targets:\n'
printf '  %s\n' "${TARGETS[@]}"

Step 2 — Grep for AI-Tell Patterns (Early Exit)

Run all pattern checks before reading any file content. If nothing matches, stop immediately.

FINDINGS_FILE=$(mktemp)

run_check() {
    local _label="$1"
    local pattern="$2"
    local output
    output=$(grep -HniE "$pattern" "${TARGETS[@]}" || true)
    if [[ -n "$output" ]]; then
        printf '%s\n' "$output" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE"
    fi
}

# Filler openers and padding openers
run_check "Openers" "^(Certainly|Absolutely|Of course|Sure,|Great!|Excellent!|Awesome|Wonderful|Totally!|Noted!|Perfect!|Interesting!|Fantastic!|Exactly!|Indeed,|Naturally,|Obviously,|Clearly,|In other words,|To put it simply,|Simply put,|In essence,|Essentially,|Basically,|Ultimately,|Overall,|Most importantly,|Above all,|The good news (is|here)|The bad news (is|here)|Having (established|covered|discussed) that|Now that we.?ve (established|covered|discussed|looked at)|Here are [0-9]+ (ways?|steps?|tips?|reasons?|things?|examples?|points?)|(Pro tip|Quick tip)[: ]|(You might be wondering|You may be (wondering|asking yourself)|You'?re probably wondering|As you (may|might|probably) (already )?know,|You may have noticed|Chances are,))[,!.]?"

# Great question, validation, AI closers, self-referential
run_check "Validation & closers" "(Great question[!.]?|That'?s (a )?(great|excellent|good) question|Thank(s| you) for (your question|asking)[.!]?|You'?re (absolutely |completely )?(right|correct)[.!,]|That'?s (absolutely |completely )?correct[.!,]|I hope (this (helps|clarifies|answers)|that (helps|answers)|you found this (helpful|useful))|Hope this helps|I trust this helps|Let me know if you (have any questions|need (anything|further|more))|Is there anything else (I can|you'?d like)|If you have any questions,? feel free to|Happy to (help|clarify|answer)|As an AI|As a language model|As your assistant|I('m| am) here to help|Feel free to (ask|reach out)|Don't hesitate to|I'?d be (happy|glad|delighted) to|[Ll]et me walk you through|I'?ll walk you through|I want to assure you|I'?m (excited|pleased|delighted) to (share|tell|show|present)|Allow me to (explain|walk|show|clarify|demonstrate)|Let me (clarify|explain|break (this|it) down)|Let'?s (explore|examine|break down|get started|dive in|begin)|I'?ll (begin|start) by|We'?ll (cover|explore|look at|discuss|examine)|I (encourage|invite|urge) you to)"

# Hedging phrases and transition clichés
run_check "Hedging & transitions" "(It('s| is) (worth|important) (noting|to note|mentioning|considering|emphasizing|pointing out)|Please note that|It should be noted|It is (important|essential|critical) to (note|mention|understand|remember)|needless to say|To be (fair|honest|clear|precise),|Just to (clarify|be clear),|(\w+ honestly[,]? because\b)|(stated|said|mentioned|put) plainly[,:]?|(called out|stated|noted|flagged|mentioned|acknowledged|written|phrased) deliberately\b|[Bb]ookkeeping first[,]? because|because (the|a|an) \w+ (lands?|works?|reads?|sits?|hits?) better|[Aa]s (I |we )?(mentioned|noted|discussed) (earlier|above|before)|[Kk]eep in mind that|[Bb]ear in mind that|I should (note|mention)|[Ww]orth (mentioning|pointing out)|I'?d like to (point out|highlight|note|emphasize)|I want to (highlight|emphasize)|\b(Moreover,|Furthermore,|Additionally,|In addition,|In conclusion,|In summary,|That being said,|That said,|With that in mind,|With th(is|at) in mind,|With that said,|Having said that,|At the end of the day,|It goes without saying|First and foremost,|Last but not least,|To summarize,|To recap,|In a nutshell,|On that note,|To that end,|As such,|In light of (this|that),|Moving forward,|Going forward,|On a related note,|On the flip side,|Suffice it to say,|All things considered,|By the same token,|To put it another way,|In any case,|Nonetheless,|Nevertheless,|Not only that,|In other words,|Despite this)\b|It'?s not .+, it'?s|Not [A-Z][^.]+\. Not [A-Z]|and (it|this|that) matters? more than (it|you'?d? (think|expect|guess))|and (it|this|that) (is|'?s) more (important|significant|subtle) than (it|you'?d? (think|expect|guess)))"

# Template phrasing and structural scaffolding
run_check "Template phrasing" "\b(In today'?s .{0,40} (world|landscape|environment|era)|in an era where|now more than ever|when it comes to|at its core|the reality is|the truth is|not just [^,.;]+, but|more than just|isn'?t just [^,.;]+, it'?s|whether you'?re (a )?[^,.;]+ or|from [^,.;]+ to [^,.;]+|there are several reasons why|let'?s take a closer look|ultimately, the choice depends on|the future of [^,.;]+ is|The key takeaway(s)?[: ]|if you.?re like most (people|developers?|users?|teams?|companies|organizations)|you.?ve probably (heard|seen|noticed|experienced|come across)|This is where .{1,40} comes in|That'?s where .{1,40} comes in|in (the )?(next|following|upcoming) section|as we.?ll see (below|later|above)|as (discussed|mentioned|noted|covered) (in )?(the )?(previous|next|following) section)\b"

# AI vocabulary — all overrepresented LLM terms in one pass
run_check "AI vocabulary" "\b(delve|dive into|unpack(ing)?|leverage[sd]?|utilize[sd]?|facilitate[sd]?|robust(ness)?|seamless(ly)?|holistic(ally)?|synergy|synergize|cutting.?edge|state.?of.?the.?art|groundbreaking|transformative|revolutionize|unlock(ing)?|foster(ing)?|empower(ing)?|best practices|pivotal|crucial|enhance[sd]?|underscore[sd]?|landscape|vibrant|testament|showcase[sd]?|intricate(ly)?|evolving|nuanced?|comprehensive|meticulous(ly)?|paramount|streamline[sd]?|actionable|harness(ing|ed)?|game-?changer|game-?changing|innovative|innovation|tailored|invaluable|endeavou?r(ing|ed)?|aforementioned|noteworthy|commendable|multifaceted|sophisticated|optimal(ly)?|optimize[sd]?|hallmark|cornerstone|bedrock|best-in-class|world-class|top-?tier|unprecedented|revolutionary|visionary|pioneering|propel(ling|led)?|catalyze[sd]?|catalyst|amplify|amplified|amplifying|bolster(ing|ed)?|spearhead(ing|ed)?|champion(ing|ed)?|synergistic|paradigm( shift)?|ecosystem|impactful|vital|scalable|scalability|elevate[sd]?|reimagine[sd]?|redefine[sd]?|disruptive|disrupt(ing|ed)?|pave the way|at the forefront|drive[sd]? (results?|innovation|growth|success|change|impact|value|adoption|engagement)|accelerate[sd]?|impact|legacy|significance|plays? a (pivotal|crucial|key|vital) role)\b"

# Vague authority, assertion intensifiers, hollow superlatives
run_check "Vague authority & intensifiers" "(experts? say|experts? (argue|suggest|agree|believe|note)|according to experts?|many experts? (say|believe|suggest)|industry reports?|as per (industry|expert) (standards?|guidelines?|consensus)|many believe|some argue that|it could be argued that|one could argue|studies show|research (shows|suggests|indicates)|data (shows|suggests|indicates)|it is (widely|generally|commonly) (believed|accepted|known|recognized|understood)|conventional wisdom|it has been shown that|it is (recommended|expected|suggested) that|general(ly accepted)? consensus|\b(without (question|a doubt)|there'?s no denying (that|this)|undeniably|unquestionably|it'?s no secret that|make no mistake|rest assured|highly (recommended|effective|relevant|valuable|efficient|useful|important|beneficial)|crystal clear|abundantly clear|perfectly clear|arguably (the |one of the )?(most|best)|perhaps the (most|best)|the best way to|the most important (thing|step|aspect|consideration)|the only way to|one of the most (important|effective|powerful|significant|compelling|critical))\b)"

# Wordiness — circumlocutions
run_check "Wordiness" "\b(in order to|due to the fact that|at this point in time|in the event that|with (regard|respect) to|the fact that|prior to|make use of|a (number|wide range|variety|great deal) of|is able to|has the ability to|it is possible to|as a result of|take into (consideration|account)|on a regular basis|in the case of|in spite of the fact that|in the near future|at a later (date|time)|subsequent to|for the purpose of|on the basis of|with the exception of|in the majority of cases|in terms of|in light of the fact that|owing to the fact that)\b"

# Rhetorical question-answer pairs
for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
    awk '
        index($0, "?") { prev_line=NR; prev_text=$0; next }
        prev_line && $0 ~ /^[[:space:]]*[A-Z]/ {
            print FILENAME ":" prev_line ":" prev_text
            print FILENAME ":" NR ":" $0
            prev_line=0
        }
        /^[[:space:]]*$/ { prev_line=0 }
    ' "$target" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE"
done

# Bold overuse — flag files where bolding appears on more than 1 in 10 non-blank lines
for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
    total_lines=$(grep -c . "$target" || echo 1)
    bold_lines=$(grep -c "\*\*" "$target" || true)
    if (( bold_lines * 10 > total_lines )); then
        printf '%s: %s bolded line(s) across %s non-blank lines (possible over-formatting)\n' \
            "$target" "$bold_lines" "$total_lines" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE"
    fi
done

# Em dash overuse
for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
    dash_count=$(grep -o "—" "$target" | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
    total_lines=$(grep -c . "$target" || echo 1)
    if (( dash_count > total_lines / 30 && dash_count > 1 )); then
        printf '%s: %s em dash(es) across %s non-blank lines\n' \
            "$target" "$dash_count" "$total_lines" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE"
    fi
done
grep -HnE ".+—.+—" "${TARGETS[@]}" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE" || true

# Right arrow overuse in prose
grep -Hn "→" "${TARGETS[@]}" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE" || true

# Section separator overuse
grep -HnE "^---$" "${TARGETS[@]}" | tee -a "$FINDINGS_FILE" || true

If zero matches across all patterns, output:

No AI tells found in <file>. Document reads naturally.

and stop.

Step 3 — Categorize, Score, and Report Findings

Group matches by category and report with line numbers. Do not make any changes yet.

Before reporting, discard obvious false positives:

• Matches inside fenced code blocks
• Matches inside YAML front matter
• Matches in blockquotes or quoted source text
• Matches in examples that intentionally demonstrate AI output
• Matches in generated-file notices, changelog boilerplate, or license text

AI tells found in docs/report.md:

Filler openers (2)
  L3:  "Certainly, here is the summary..."
  L47: "Absolutely! The next step is..."

AI vocabulary (5)
  L12: "leverage the existing infrastructure"
  L18: "seamless integration"
  ...

Total: 12 patterns across 1 file

AI-Written Percentage

for target in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do
    total_lines=$(grep -c . "$target" || echo 1)
    hit_lines=$(
        awk -F: -v file="$target" '$1 == file && $2 ~ /^[0-9]+$/ { print $2 }' "$FINDINGS_FILE" |
        sort -u | wc -l | tr -d ' '
    )
    percentage=$(( (hit_lines * 100 + total_lines / 2) / total_lines ))
    printf '%s: %s%% (%s flagged lines out of %s non-blank lines)\n' \
        "$target" "$percentage" "$hit_lines" "$total_lines"
done

AI-written estimate: 17% (12 flagged lines out of 72 non-blank lines)
  Low (0–15%)    — occasional AI patterns; targeted fixes sufficient
  Medium (16–40%) — noticeable AI register; consider paragraph rewrites
  High (41%+)    — pervasive AI tone; consider full-section rewrites

Step 4 — Ask Before Removing

Proceed with removal? Options:
  y   — apply all automatic fixes, then prompt for confirmation-required ones
  n   — exit without changes
  l   — list only (you already see the list above; this exits without changes)
  s   — selective: choose which categories to fix

Wait for the user's response. Do not apply any edits until the user confirms with y or s.

If the user chooses s, present each category in turn and proceed only with approved categories.

Step 5 — Apply Fixes

Automatic replacements

Remove entirely — the sentence is always better without these phrases. Delete the phrase and any punctuation or space it introduces:

• Filler openers: Certainly, Absolutely, Of course, Sure, Great! Excellent! Awesome, Wonderful, Totally! Noted! Perfect! Interesting! Fantastic! Exactly! Indeed, Naturally, Obviously, Clearly,
• Validation openers: Great question! That's a great question Thank you for your question Thanks for asking You're right, You're absolutely right, That's correct, — just answer directly.
• AI closers: I hope this helps Hope this helps I trust this helps Let me know if you have any questions Let me know if you need anything Is there anything else I can help with Happy to help Happy to clarify I hope you found this helpful
• Transition openers: Moreover, Furthermore, That being said, That said, With that in mind, With that said, Having said that, On that note, To that end, In light of this/that, With this in mind, All things considered, By the same token, In any case, At the end of the day, Moving forward, Going forward, On a related note, Not only that, In conclusion, In summary, To summarize, To recap, In a nutshell, First and foremost, Last but not least, — for Nonetheless, / Nevertheless, / Despite this, rewrite as two plain sentences or use but.
• Hedging phrases: It's worth noting that It is worth/important noting/mentioning/considering It is important/essential to note/mention It should be noted that needless to say To be fair/honest/clear, As I mentioned earlier/above/before Keep in mind that Bear in mind that I should note/mention Worth mentioning/pointing out I'd like to point out/highlight I want to highlight/emphasize stated honestly because said honestly because mentioned honestly because stated plainly said plainly put plainly called out deliberately stated deliberately noted deliberately flagged deliberately mentioned deliberately acknowledged deliberately — the deliberateness qualifier is meta-commentary about the act of disclosure; just state the thing directly.
• Process narration: Bookkeeping first, because [X] first, because [framing rationale] because [the/a] [noun] lands/works/reads better — these explain the writer's own sequencing or communication choices instead of just doing the thing; delete the framing clause and start with the content.
• Self-referential: Let me walk you through I'll walk you through Allow me to explain/clarify Let me clarify/explain/break this down Let's explore/examine/break down/dive in/get started I'll begin by I'll start by We'll cover/explore/look at I want to assure you I'm excited to share I'm pleased to present Feel free to ask Don't hesitate to I'd be happy to I encourage/invite/urge you to — just start the explanation.
• Anticipatory patterns: You might be wondering You may be asking yourself As you may know, As you probably know, You may have noticed Chances are, if you're like most people/developers you've probably heard/seen/noticed
• Template scaffolding: now more than ever At its core, The reality is The truth is Let's take a closer look Most importantly, Above all, The good news is The bad news is Having established that, Now that we've established/covered in the next/following section as we'll see below/later as discussed/mentioned in the previous section This is where [X] comes in
• Assertion intensifiers: without question without a doubt there's no denying that undeniably unquestionably it's no secret that make no mistake rest assured
• Hollow superlatives: the best way to the most important [thing/step/aspect] the only way to one of the most important/effective/powerful/significant — state the approach directly.
• Vague authority: some argue that it could be argued that one could argue it is widely/generally believed conventional wisdom it has been shown that according to experts many experts believe — state the claim directly or attribute to a named source.
• Padding openers: In other words, To put it simply, Simply put, In essence, Essentially, Basically, Ultimately, Overall,
• Labels: Pro tip: Quick tip: — remove the label, keep the tip text.
• Intensifiers: highly recommended → recommended. highly effective/relevant/valuable → drop highly. crystal clear/abundantly clear/perfectly clear → clear.

Shorten circumlocutions — meaning is always identical:

Replace with simpler word:

Vague praise — name the specific quality or remove. Do not keep the word; either delete it or replace it with what is specifically true:

robust seamless comprehensive meticulous sophisticated nuanced innovative/innovation cutting-edge state-of-the-art groundbreaking transformative streamline enhance elevate reimagine redefine disruptive game-changing harness (the power of) pivotal crucial vital impactful invaluable noteworthy commendable multifaceted vibrant intricate hallmark cornerstone bedrock best-in-class world-class top-tier unprecedented revolutionary visionary pioneering propel catalyze/catalyst amplify bolster synergistic paradigm shift ecosystem scalable/scalability optimal/optimize landscape testament evolving tailored best practices drive [vague object] pave the way at the forefront foster empower accelerate [vague]

Confirmation-required replacements

Show the current line and proposed rewrite; wait for user response before changing:

• Filler and validation openers — show the full sentence; removing the opener must not change meaning.
• AI closers — show the paragraph end; confirm removal doesn't cut real content.
• Template phrasing (In today's…, from X to Y, the future of X, whether you're X or Y) — show the sentence and offer a direct rewrite that names the actual subject.
• Em dashes — show each occurrence in context; replace with a comma, colon, or parentheses, or remove the clause if it is padding. Flag files where em dashes appear more than once per 30 lines as likely overused.
• → arrows — legitimate in code examples, tables, or CLI output; overused in prose as a connector. Remove from prose and rewrite as a complete sentence.
• --- section separators — flag standalone horizontal rules; remove and rely on headings. Skip occurrences inside YAML front matter or code fences.
• Wordiness patterns — auto-replacements are always safe, but show the rewritten sentence so the user can verify no meaning was lost.
• Bold overuse — show a count of bolded phrases per page; ask which to remove.
• Context-dependent AI vocabulary (see Edge Cases below for which words) — show the sentence and ask.
• Rhetorical question-answer pairs — show the question and immediate answer; offer to merge into a single declarative sentence.
• Contrast structures (It's not X, it's Y / Not A. Not B. But C. / Despite this, / and it matters more than it looks) — show the sentence; rewrite as a plain positive statement.
• Vague authority — remove the attribution and state the claim directly, or cut the sentence if there is no specific source.
• Importance sentences — any sentence whose only purpose is to state impact, legacy, significance, or broader trends without a specific claim; delete it.
• Sentences over 16 words — show the sentence and a shorter rewrite.
• Universal sentences — any sentence that could apply to 1,000 other topics; delete it.
• Motivational tone — sentences written for an audience of many (TED Talk register); rewrite for one reader or delete.

Example prompt:

L3: "Certainly, the migration requires three steps."
     → "The migration requires three steps."
Apply? (y/n/edit)

Step 6 — Report

remove-ai-tells complete — docs/report.md

AI-written estimate: 14% → 0% (10 flagged lines resolved out of 72 non-blank lines)

Fixed automatically (8):
  utilize → use (×2)
  delve into → examine (×1)
  Furthermore, → [removed] (×2)
  It's worth noting that → [removed] (×1)
  seamless → [removed] (×1)
  robust → [removed] (×1)

Confirmed by user (2):
  L3  filler opener removed
  L47 filler opener removed

Skipped (0):
  none

Remaining AI tells: 0

Rewrite Output Rules

• Output the clean version only — no explanation of what changed inline
• No formatting tricks: no bold to highlight fixes, no italics, no ~~strikethrough~~
• No summary or commentary appended after the rewritten text
• Write for one reader, not an audience — direct address, not stage register
• If a general claim has no specific backing, delete the sentence rather than hedging it

Edge Cases

Eight principles cover all context-dependent situations:

1. Named specifics override the flag. If a flagged term is followed in the same sentence by a specific metric, named comparison, or enumerated list — confirm before removing rather than auto-removing. Examples: drive with a cited percentage, accelerate with a deadline, ecosystem listing actual tools, scalable with a stated scale target, disruptive naming a specific incumbent, arguably with alternatives listed, the best way to with a cited benchmark in the next sentence.

2. Technical/domain context is legitimate. Skip and note the reason: navigate in UI/routing docs; optimize with a named performance target; robust in an RFC or protocol specification; sophisticated naming the specific technical components; comprehensive in a scope statement that explicitly lists what is covered.

3. Quoted or cited text is never rewritten. Do not change flagged words inside quotations, cited text, code blocks, or YAML front matter.

4. Proper nouns and product names are skipped. Do not flag words that are part of an official product, program, or organization name.

5. Formal register warrants confirmation, not auto-removal. rest assured in SLAs or warranty language; hallmark/cornerstone in brand standards or formal organizational writing; I encourage you to in a formal recommendation closing; revolutionary/pioneering with a cited first and date — confirm before removing.

6. FAQ sections expect anticipatory patterns. You might be wondering is the expected format in explicit FAQ sections — skip; flag only in prose paragraphs. Here are N steps/tips is appropriate in step-by-step tutorials — confirm rather than auto-remove.

7. Logical connectors with explicit cause-effect are legitimate. As such, is valid when a clear cause-effect chain is in the same sentence. To put it another way is valid when the second formulation adds a concrete example after an abstract statement. The good news is is valid in structured mixed-finding reports. Confirm before removing in these cases.

8. Non-English content, large files, and multiple files. For non-English content: report that patterns are English-only and skip. For files over 500 lines: process in sections and report progress per section. For multiple files: process each independently and report a combined summary at the end.