I look for 6 things now that clearly indicate that AI generated content was NOT edited.
It’s important to note that while these indicators can help identify unedited AI-generated content, they may not always be foolproof. Some AI models have improved significantly and can produce more polished and coherent content that mimics human writing. Therefore, it’s crucial to exercise caution and thoroughly review any content to ensure its quality and authenticity.
When I find any of these indicators I’m ready to move on. If the writer doesn’t care to enough to edit their content after AI generation then why should I bother to read it.
Author Authenticity
Failing to edit is failing as a writer. We should embrace AI with every fiber of our being. We shouldn’t flaunt with failure to edit properly. Nothing will ever eliminate the need for editing.
Imagine putting your name on content that was machine generated for you, then you meet someone who questions something you’ve published. They are fascinated by the point you made in chapter 3. They want to know more about how you came to that conclusion. What thought process lead you to that position? Suddenly you’re lost.
Authenticity lost immediately. You’ve just been exposed.
I see a flood of this in the near future. There is no excuse to sloppy content creation.
Recently I saw a promotion that read like this: “Are you prepared to step into the spotlight as an instant publishing sensation, all while sidestepping the challenges of research, outlining, and writing?”
There are advantages of research, outlining, and writing. Yes, you might be able to skip those essential steps and create a blog post. You can’t skip them and create knowledge. I want to read content from a writer that is writing from a full head and a full heart. If they can’t bother to edit their “writing” then why in heaven’s name should I feel obligated to read it.
Attribution
I can’t leave without talking about attribution. Researching your writing introduces you to thoughts not your own, thought leaders you don’t know, and thought processes you don’t currently possess. AI scrapes content from its database without attributing the sources of that data.
You lose!
You lose the value of the knowledge gained by discovering those sources. Using AI should make you smarter. It should never be a way to profit from lack of effort.
Personal Note: I generate hundreds of thousands of words every month using a variety of AI tools. I read, research, and edit everything I publish. In most cases, this involves at the minium 3 reads. The greatest inspiration in my career is the book Writing to Learn by William Zinsser.
I write to learn!
As always Bro, great sentiment and value add here! I’m not interested in uninspired content that’s hacked together without concern of accuracy or impact. If you don’t care enough to vet your own “work,” you demonstrate that you care nothing about me, my well-being, or my success. You care about YOU and possibly what you can get FROM me not FOR me.
Thanks Jason! I love AI but we are missing too many things if we don’t do the work. When I taught school I would load the van with my students and head out to the library. I would NOT let my students copy and paste work that wasn’t their own. AI simply saves the gas. Use it like the library without the van.