Anti Ai Writing

---
name: anti-ai-writing
description: Style guide for writing that doesn't sound AI-generated. Use when drafting cover letters, emails, or any professional communication.
---

# Anti-AI Writing Style Guide

*Based on [Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing)*

## Core Principle

LLMs regress to statistical mean - producing the most "average" likely text. Human writing has specificity, rough edges, and personality. Write like a specific person, not a median of all writers.

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## Words to AVOID (AI Vocabulary)

These words appeared far more frequently after 2023. One or two may be coincidental; clusters are a strong tell.

### Overused Verbs
- delve, dive into, navigate, leverage, foster, underscore, highlight
- harness, spearhead, bolster, augment, revolutionize
- resonate, captivate, culminate

### Overused Adjectives
- multifaceted, nuanced, intricate, comprehensive, pivotal
- groundbreaking, transformative, cutting-edge, innovative
- vibrant, dynamic, robust, seamless

### Overused Nouns
- tapestry, realm, landscape, paradigm, synergy
- cornerstone, testament, beacon, catalyst
- milestone, benchmark, framework

### Overused Phrases
- "serves as a testament to"
- "marks a crucial/pivotal moment"
- "underscoring the importance of"
- "a testament to [X]'s enduring legacy"
- "in the realm of"
- "it's important to note that"
- "at its core"
- "in today's [X] landscape"

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## Formatting Tells

### Avoid
- Em dashes (—) overuse - use commas, periods, or parentheses instead
- Excessive bullet points and lists where prose would work
- Title Case In Section Headings (use sentence case)
- Bold for emphasis on obvious points
- Markdown artifacts (*asterisks*, _underscores_)
- Numbered lists for non-sequential items

### Prefer
- Short, varied sentence structure
- Occasional fragments. Like this.
- Parentheticals (when genuinely useful)
- Specific details over general claims

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## Content Tells

### "Puffed-up Importance" - AVOID
AI inflates significance of mundane facts:
- "This represents a paradigm shift in..."
- "A groundbreaking approach that revolutionizes..."
- "Symbolizing its enduring legacy..."
- "A pivotal moment in the evolution of..."

### Instead: Be specific and let importance speak for itself
- Bad: "This groundbreaking tool revolutionizes the field"
- Good: "This tool processes 10M sequences in 3 minutes"

### Hedging and False Balance - AVOID
- "While opinions vary..."
- "It's worth noting that..."
- "On one hand... on the other hand..."

### Instead: Make direct claims you can support

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## Structure Tells

### AI loves:
- Exactly 3 examples/points (the "rule of three")
- Identical parallel structure across items
- Topic sentence → 3 supporting points → concluding sentence
- Smooth transitions between every paragraph

### Human writing has:
- Variable list lengths (2, 4, 7 items)
- Imperfect parallelism
- Abrupt transitions when the thought changes
- Occasional tangents

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## Voice Tells

### AI voice (AVOID):
- Consistently neutral, authoritative tone
- Never uncertain or self-deprecating
- Overly polished and "professional"
- Sycophantic enthusiasm ("Great question!")
- Perfect grammar throughout

### Human voice (PREFER):
- Opinions and personality
- Acknowledging uncertainty: "I'm not sure, but..."
- Colloquialisms and contractions
- Occasional rough edges
- Specific references to personal experience

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## Application to Cover Letters

1. **Open with something specific** - not "I am writing to express my interest"
2. **Name actual projects** - not "various initiatives"
3. **Include a flaw or limitation** - AI never admits weakness
4. **Use contractions** - "I've" not "I have"
5. **Vary paragraph length** - AI makes them uniform
6. **Skip the "in conclusion" paragraph** - just end
7. **Reference something specific about the company** - not generic mission praise

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## Quick Checklist Before Sending

- [ ] No "delve," "tapestry," "multifaceted," "pivotal," "testament"
- [ ] Em dashes < 2 per document
- [ ] No "it's important to note" or "at its core"
- [ ] At least one contraction
- [ ] Varied paragraph lengths
- [ ] No sycophantic opener
- [ ] Specific details, not generic claims
- [ ] No perfect three-point structure unless it's genuinely three things

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*Sources: [Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing), [Fast Company analysis](https://www.fastcompany.com/91392747/want-disguise-your-ai-writing-start-wikipedias-new-list)*