Tired of AI-generated content that feels robotic and unengaging?
There are practical steps to make ChatGPT write more like a human
In this guide, we’ll explore actionable strategies to humanize your AI-generated texts.
Why ChatGPT doesn’t write like a human
Despite the advancements around LLMs, ChatGPT struggles to produce content that sounds entirely human.
ChatGPT is designed by default to produce the most likely writing output. This makes it sound very generic and bland. So not very human-like.
More specifically, here are the characteristics that make readers uncomfortable when looking at AI-generated content:
- The use of pronouns: Human writers naturally use first-person and second-person pronouns, creating a conversational tone that engages readers. In contrast, ChatGPT often resorts to a passive or undetermined voice, making the text feel impersonal and detached.
- Originality and insight: Human writers bring fresh ideas from personal experiences and unique perspectives. This personal touch is often missing in AI-generated content, which tends to rely on generic and unoriginal information sourced from its training data.
- Concreteness and relatability: human writing excels in being specific and helpful. Human authors use clear, concrete examples and actionable advice to make their points. AI, however, can produce abstract and metaphorical content that may not be as practical or relatable for the reader.
- Variety in writing patterns : human writing is characterized by varied and unpredictable patterns, including sentence length, paragraph structure, and overall flow. AI-generated content tends to be more formulaic, with regular and predictable structures that can quickly become monotonous.
But there are ways to mitigate this.
How to make ChatGPT write like a human in 7 steps
ChatGPT’s default output doesn’t always sound very human, but good prompting can help you with that.
Here are 7 techniques to improve ChatGPT tone and style :
1. Give it editorial guidelines
You don’t have to settle for ChatGPT’s default style.
Customize it to match your brand’s voice by providing specific editorial guidelines.
Here’s a practical prompt you can use to do this :
Each time you’re writing something, follow this step-by-step guideline:
- Adopt an engaging, helpful voice, provide actionable and concrete insights, and avoid buzzwords.
- Use concise, short, and easy-to-understand sentences.
- In your writing, put your readers’ goals and concerns first by using pronouns like ‘you’ or ‘your’.
Reply ‘ok’ if that’s clear for you.
Customize these guidelines based on your desired writing style and tone.
2. Provide a writing sample
Because of its limited context window, ChatGPT might not always remember your style guidelines in detail.
So it’s crucial to give ChatGPT a clear example of what you expect in terms of tone and style.
By providing a writing sample, you can help it understand your desired style more effectively.
For instance, use a prompt like this:
Here’s a writing sample to help you determine what kind of writing style and tone we expect. Only reply ‘ok’ if the extract is clear for you. Here’s the extract:
When you provide a sample, make sure it aligns with your brand’s voice and the specific qualities you value, such as clarity, engagement, or relatability.
3. Make it build an outline first
Prompts engineers praise the value of “chain-of-thought” prompting.
In content writing, this translates into asking ChatGPT to create an outline before drafting the full text.
This outline will help ChatGPT figure out the structure and flow of the piece, and making sure it covers all necessary points logically and thoroughly. It will be able to organize its thoughts and ideas, which leads to more structured and coherent content.
Begin with a prompt that directs ChatGPT to outline the major sections and key points of the content. For example, you might use:
Before writing, create a detailed outline for the topic. Include main sections and key points under each section. Ensure the structure is logical and covers all relevant aspects.
4. Infuse it with your ideas
You don’t want your AI-generated text to regurgitate common information. But that’s what it is designed to do.
To avoid that, you need to infuse ChatGPT with your own ideas and expertise.
You need to gather your thoughts, findings, and any subject matter expertise you have on the topic, and give it to your AI.
Use a prompt like this to guide ChatGPT:
Here is a draft of ideas and insights on [your topic]. Please create an outline based on this draft and use these points to develop detailed sections. Make sure to highlight the unique perspectives and examples provided.
5. Remove repetitions and add variety
One clear sign of AI-generated content is its tendency to be repetitive and predictable.
To make ChatGPT’s writing more human-like, you need to add more variety and remove redundancies from its output.
Start by closely reviewing the text generated by ChatGPT. Identify and eliminate any repetitive phrases or sections that do not add new information.
Next, vary the sentence structures. Humans naturally mix short and long sentences, use questions, and incorporate different sentence patterns. You can guide ChatGPT to do the same by using prompts like:
Rewrite the following paragraph to include a mix of short and long sentences. Use questions where appropriate and ensure the paragraph flows naturally.
Additionally, consider the overall structure of the content. Alternate between bullet points, subheadings, and regular paragraphs to break up the text and make it visually appealing. This helps keep readers engaged and makes the content easier to digest.
6. Remove the “bullshit” words
AI-generated content often includes overused buzzwords and phrases that can make the text sound insincere and overly promotional.
To make ChatGPT’s writing more authentic and professional, focus on identifying and eliminating these “bullshit” words.
Carefully review the content for any inflated or exaggerated terms. Words and phrases like “game-changer,” “revolutionary,” and “unprecedented”. Superlatives such as “best,” “amazing,” and “incredible.”
These are real signs of AI-generated content, and don’t feel authentic to human readers.
7. Use Conversational Prompts
To make ChatGPT’s writing more human-like, you can also guide it with conversational prompts.
These mimic natural, everyday language and encourage ChatGPT to adopt a more engaging and relatable tone.
For example, use a prompt like:
Write this section as if you’re chatting with a friend. Ask questions to keep them engaged and use informal language. Include some personal anecdotes or examples to illustrate your points.
Incorporate emotional undertones by addressing common pain points and offering reassuring messages. This approach not only makes the content more relatable but also demonstrates that you genuinely care about the reader’s experience.
Use prompts like:
“Address common concerns your audience might have about this topic. Offer reassurance and practical solutions to ease their worries.”
