How to Humanize AI Content

Do you know how to humanize AI content? As you probably know by now, AI is rapidly changing the content creation landscape. Given the recent development and rising popularity of AI writing tools, you’re likely to come across AI-generated content in some form as a freelance writer or editor (if you haven’t already). You may find that some clients even request you humanize the content to improve its readability and add a dash of personality. However, this process can be tricky, even for experienced writers and editors.

In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about humanizing AI-generated content for your clients, including tips and examples of how it’s done. Keep reading to learn more about this in-demand freelance skill!

What Is AI Content?

What exactly is AI-generated content? AI-generated content is any written material (e.g., blog posts, website copy, or articles) created by an AI writing tool, such as ChatGPT. These tools typically work based on natural language processing and machine learning techniques, being trained on massive amounts of previously published information available online. Users provide input to the AI tools in the form of queries or requests, and then the model processes this input to produce a relevant response.

Check out this list of some of the most popular AI content tools for an idea of how different models work and ways they can be incorporated into your processes.

Why Should You Humanize AI Content?

While AI-generated content can be helpful for writers (e.g., creating outlines for blog posts or generating topic ideas) and anyone who needs to quickly produce a large amount of content, there are several major drawbacks. For example, the quality can vary greatly. AI-generated content can be monotonous or robotic sounding (which makes sense, as it’s generated by a machine).

To make the most of AI writing tools, it’s best to humanize the content to improve the overall quality. High-quality writing will improve your client’s reputation as well as boost their credibility and improve their ranking on search engine results pages. And AI content that reads naturally and flows well (as if it was written by a human) is more relatable to a wider audience, which could help increase your client’s customer base.

Next, let’s take a look at a few ways you can humanize AI-generated content.

How to Humanize AI Writing

There are several ways you can humanize AI writing and improve its quality. You can:

1. Make Smooth Transitions

You may find that AI-generated content abruptly shifts topics or lacks transition words and phrases (e.g., however, moreover, or in the meantime). Adding some where relevant can improve readability and make the sequence of events easier to follow.

2. Add a Touch of Personality

The purpose of AI text isn’t to entertain the reader; it’s meant to provide a response to a query, so you won’t find any humor in the content. Adding jokes or clever observations where appropriate lightens the tone of the text and catches the reader’s attention. And depending on the audience, you can further humanize the content and add personality by replacing overly formal or archaic language with something more conversational (e.g., use instead of utilize).

3. Incorporate Personal Anecdotes

AI-generated content is typically dry and neutral. Adding personal anecdotes that are relevant to the topic lends a personal touch to the content. If you’re editing content for a client, consider incorporating testimonials, case studies, or customer reviews to appeal to the reader with social proof.

4. Vary Sentence Structure and Length

Read the content aloud to get a feel for its rhythm and structure. This will help pinpoint where it sounds particularly monotonous or robotic. Vary the sentence length where necessary, eliminate repetitive or redundant text, and break up large chunks of content to improve scannability for skim readers. You can also add vibrant adjectives to bland descriptions to improve the flow of the writing and make it easier for the reader to visualize the content.

5. Use an Active Voice

AI-generated content often uses the passive voice to create distance from the subject and project impartiality. Using the active voice instead clarifies who is performing an action or making a statement. This puts the focus on the subject and engages the reader. You can also incorporate a second person point of view (i.e., you) to speak directly to the reader and build a connection with them.

6. Make Bold Statements

AI writing tools frequently rely on hedging language in responses to avoid sounding too definitive or like it’s taking sides on an issue. In contrast, of course, real human writers tend to be opinionated and make their thoughts on a subject known to their readers. So, to humanize AI content, add varied points of view to the content for a fresh, unique perspective that’s not possible by using AI alone.

Unedited vs. Edited AI Content

Here’s an example of an unedited AI-generated response to the prompt “What are the benefits of remote work?” by ChatGPT:

Remote work brings transformative advantages to individuals and organizations. Employees enjoy increased flexibility, freeing them from commutes and supporting a healthier work-life balance. This autonomy boosts job satisfaction and productivity. Employers benefit from cost savings as physical office space needs decrease. Access to a global talent pool becomes possible, enhancing recruitment possibilities. Technology advancements facilitate efficient communication among remote teams. In summary, remote work fosters adaptability, efficiency, and satisfaction in the modern workplace.

And here’s what it looks like after editing the content to humanize it and improve the quality:

Remote work brings a host of positive benefits to companies and employees alike. Without a long, draining commute, employees enjoy increased flexibility and a healthier work-life balance, which, in turn, boosts job satisfaction and productivity. In addition, employers benefit from cost savings, as they no longer have the need for a physical office space. Remote work also provides companies access to a global talent pool, enhancing recruitment possibilities, and technology advancements ensure teams can communicate efficiently. Overall, remote work has changed the landscape of the modern workplace for the better.

Note that the edited version reads more naturally than the original response, although the original meaning of the text remains basically the same. We’ve added transition words to smooth the flow of ideas; introduced a more direct, conversational tone; and varied the sentence structure and length. We’ve also eliminated some minor repetition by varying the vocabulary.

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