How to Clean Up AI-Generated Text: A Practical Guide
AI text has specific patterns that readers and search engines recognize. Most of them are fixable in under an hour. Here's a systematic process with the 8 tells to look for and exactly how to fix each one.
Why AI Text Sounds Different
Language models are trained to produce text that looks like high-quality writing. The problem is that “high-quality writing” in training data is often formal, hedged, and balanced. So AI defaults to those patterns even when they're not appropriate. It's optimizing for something that looks like careful writing, not something that reads naturally.
The other issue is uniform rhythm. Human writers have bad days, strong opinions, tangents. AI produces metronomic output. Every sentence 20-25 words. Every paragraph 4 sentences. Every section the same shape. That rhythm is what readers actually notice first, even if they can't articulate it.
The 8 AI Writing Tells (and How to Fix Each)
1. The preamble paragraph
Fix: Delete the entire first paragraph. Most AI articles have a preamble that adds no information. Start with the first sentence that says something specific.
2. Hedging phrases
Fix: Delete the phrase entirely or replace with a direct statement. 'It's worth noting that caffeine affects sleep' → 'Caffeine disrupts sleep onset by blocking adenosine receptors.'
3. The three-item list reflex
Fix: Ask: does this actually have three parts, or did the AI just make three? Merge the weakest two points or eliminate the list entirely and write a paragraph.
4. Uniform sentence length
Fix: Mix in short sentences. 1-5 words. Then allow one longer sentence to develop a full thought with supporting context that earns the extra length.
5. The conclusion that restates the introduction
Fix: Write a conclusion that says something new: a remaining question, a next step, a nuanced takeaway that only makes sense after reading the whole piece.
6. Power words that mean nothing
Fix: Replace with specific verbs. 'Leverage your network' → 'Ask your colleagues'. 'Unlock new opportunities' → 'Get access to X'. 'Delve into' → 'Look at'.
7. Passive voice everywhere
Fix: Identify who did the action and make them the subject. "Researchers analyzed the data and found three patterns." Use the passive only when the actor genuinely doesn't matter.
8. The symmetrical structure
Fix: Let sections breathe or compress based on how much there actually is to say. A complex point deserves 6 sentences. A simple one needs 1.
The 20-Minute Edit Protocol
For a 1,000-word AI draft, this 4-pass process takes about 20-25 minutes:
- Pass 1 — Delete (3 min): Remove the first paragraph. Remove the conclusion if it just restates the intro. Delete every sentence that starts with “It's worth noting” or similar. Don't replace — just delete.
- Pass 2 — Specifics (8 min): Find every vague phrase (“many people”, “recent research”, “significant impact”). Replace with specific data, examples, or names. If you can't find specifics, mark it for deletion.
- Pass 3 — Rhythm (5 min): Read aloud. After every 3-4 sentences of the same length, add one very short sentence or one long one. Break up any paragraph with the “First/Second/Third” pattern.
- Pass 4 — Word choice (4 min): Use TextKit's word counter to scan for repeated words. Replace buzzwords. Check that active verbs carry the weight of each sentence.
TextKit Tools for Editing AI Text
Several TextKit tools are useful in the editing process:
- Case Converter — Quickly standardize capitalization in quoted examples
- Diff Checker — Compare your edited version against the original AI draft
- Lorem Ipsum Generator — Replace placeholder content before refilling with real specifics
When to Start Over Instead of Editing
Sometimes editing AI text costs more time than writing from scratch. Start over if:
- More than 60% of sentences need rewriting
- The core argument or angle is wrong for your audience
- The AI got key facts wrong and you need to verify every claim
- The structure doesn't match how the reader will actually use the content
The most efficient use of AI for writing is as a research and outline tool, not a draft generator. Use it to pull sources, generate an outline, or identify counterarguments — then write the actual prose yourself from that scaffold.