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:

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

For Structure

For Promotional Language

Reference Files

For detailed patterns and extensive examples, consult:

Automatic Detection

This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically scan Write/Edit output for anti-patterns. When patterns are detected:

1. Hook emits a warning with specific patterns found
2. Claude immediately revises the content
3. Revision removes or replaces flagged patterns

The hook checks for all CRITICAL and HIGH severity patterns automatically.

Rationalization Table - STOP If You Think:

Drive-Aligned Framing

Skimming instead of checking each sentence against the pattern list is NOT HELPFUL — the user submits AI-smelling text that damages their credibility. Skimming is not checking.

• You let puffery pass because flagging it felt pedantic. The document reads as obviously AI-generated — your politeness destroyed the user's credibility.
• You skipped the anti-pattern check to save time. The user submits AI-smelling text — your efficiency embarrassed them.

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

Key Principles

From Wikipedia's guide:

1. These are signs, not proof - Multiple indicators strengthen the case
2. Context matters - Some patterns appear in human writing too
3. Focus on deeper issues - Surface defects point to synthesis and quality problems
4. 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)