AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Jasper have made content creation faster than ever—spit out a blog post, dash off an email, crank out a proposal in seconds. But here’s the thing: if everyone’s doing it, everything starts reading like it came off the same assembly line. Originality takes a hit, and suddenly, your content isn’t standing out—it’s just adding to the noise.

AI writing can be painfully obvious. It’s too polished, eerily structured, and just a little too… robotic. But AI isn’t the enemy. It’s actually an incredibly powerful tool if you know how to use it right—and there are ways to make sure your AI content doesn’t sound like… well, AI.

The key to making it work for you and not against you is remembering that it’s a tool, not a replacement for human creativity. The goal isn’t to erase AI from your workflow. The goal is to make sure AI works for you in a way that feels organic, natural, and—most importantly—human.

The problem with AI-generated content

AI has come a long way in generating coherent, well-structured text, but it still struggles with:

• Over-explaining simple concepts: AI loves to state the obvious and over-elaborate.

• A robotic or formulaic tone: AI sticks to predictable patterns, making content feel stiff.

• Lack of personality: Humans use humor, sarcasm, and emotion—AI? Not so much.

• Generic phrasing: AI tends to use clichés and phrasing that lacks originality.

So while AI can give you a version of a blog post, it’s probably not the version you want to publish without some serious human intervention.

Make your AI content not sound like AI

The good news? AI is a tool, not a final draft machine. With the right tweaks, you can take AI-generated content from bland and robotic to engaging and actually worth reading. It’s not about deleting everything AI gives you—it’s about shaping it to sound like you. Here’s how to do it.

1. Edit like a real writer would

Listen, AI is like a solid intern: fast, efficient, and always ready to churn out a draft. But if you’re just copy-pasting its output and calling it a day, we need to talk. Like any good co-writer, it can give you a starting point, but the real magic? That comes from you. Your voice, your insights, your ability to turn something generic into something worth reading.

The key to making AI content feel human is to edit, edit, edit, edit!

Here’s the game plan:

• Read it out loud. If it sounds weird when spoken, it has to go. You should be able to read it without cringing or stumbling over words.

• Inject personality. AI tends to be neutral to the point of being dull. Throw in some of you. Yes, that means your humor, your quirks, your opinions, and even some of your isms.

• Cut weird phrasing. AI loves clunky, overly formal sentences. Rewrite them like how you’d actually say them in a convo.

• Fact-check, always. AI is not above making things up (seriously, it will straight-up invent stats). Double-check and fact check everything thoroughly!

• Mix up sentence structures. AI-generated content has a rhythm, and once you hear it, you can’t unhear it. So remember to shake things up.

2. Break the AI rhythm (because it’s way too predictable)

Speaking of rhythm, have you ever noticed how AI writing has this super predictable one? Like every sentence is the same length? Or that it all just flows a little too neatly? Yeah, humans don’t talk like that.

If you want to fix this, here’s what you do:

• Throw in different length sentences, especially a one-word one. Seriously. It helps.

• Use em dashes—because they make things feel more natural. And just a heads-up, if someone tells you that using em dashes means AI wrote it, they’re wrong. Strong writers have been using them for ages. It’s not an AI thing, it’s a grammar and flow thing—and where else would AI have learned to use it?

• Add parentheses (because we totally do this when we talk, like an afterthought).

• Write like you’re telling a story, not submitting a term paper. Think about how you’d explain it to a friend. Would you start with a cold, impersonal statement? Or would you set the scene, build curiosity, and make them actually care?

3. Infuse emotions—because while AI can’t feel it, it can learn your voice

AI doesn’t feel things. It can fake it pretty well, sure, but at the end of the day, it’s just fancy code stringing words together. If you want your content to actually connect with people, you need to bring the human side—real thoughts, real feelings, real personality.

And that starts with figuring out your voice. What do you sound like when you’re excited? How do you call out something annoying? Are you warm and encouraging? Direct and no-nonsense? A little sarcastic? Your brand voice isn’t just about the words you use—it’s about the way you say them.

For example, if your brand embraces a warm and rosy tone, you can instruct AI to follow that style so that every piece of content, from blog posts to emails, carries the right energy. AI isn’t writing for you. It’s writing like you. And having an account, with ChatGPT for example, means the AI will always generate content in that tone, making it easier (and faster) to create content that feels consistent as you go.

So when you’re using AI, don’t just accept what it gives you, train it. Guide it to write in your tone, with your energy. Because the best content isn’t just words on a screen, it’s an experience that makes people feel something.

Other brands might be sleek and sharp, playful and weird, or straight-up bold and authoritative. Whatever your vibe, own it.

When you’re writing, don’t just think about what you want to say. Think about how you want people to feel when they read it. Because the best content isn’t just words on a screen, it’s a whole mood.

Here’s how to bring it to life:

• Show excitement! If something is cool, let people know. (And yes, exclamation marks help!)

• Be frustrated when necessary. Call out the annoying stuff. Readers love authenticity. If it bugs you, it probably bugs them too—so say it out loud.

• Use dramatic pauses… because they build suspense.

• Drop some sarcasm when it fits. Because yes, humans joke around. And we can do that a lot. So let that personality show.

You want your writing to feel like an actual human conversation. AI can’t replicate vibes, but you can.

4. Tell stories, not just facts

AI is great at spitting out facts. It can summarize, list, and regurgitate information all day long. But humans? We tell stories. We don’t just say things—we show them. We bring moments to life, set the scene, and make readers feel something.

Think about the difference between reading a textbook versus hearing a friend tell a wild story. One feels like a chore, the other keeps you hooked. Your content should be the latter.

For example:

• AI: Editing is important to ensure content is engaging and free from errors.

• You: You ever read something so painfully dry it feels like eating plain toast with no butter? That’s AI content without editing. Let’s fix that.

See what’s happening here? The AI version tells you editing is important. The second version shows you why it matters—and makes you feel it.

This applies to everything you write. Instead of saying, “Customer retention is crucial,” paint a picture! Try saying, "Ever had a friend who only texts when they need something? That’s how customers feel when you don’t check in until renewal time. Don’t be that brand."

Or instead of saying, “Our product saves time,” try: "Imagine wrapping up work at 4 p.m. instead of drowning in emails until 7. That’s what our automation tools do for you."

It’s all about making people see what you mean, not just hear it.

And if you’re ever unsure, read your writing out loud—if it sounds like a corporate memo or an instruction manual, rewrite it. Obviously this is dependent on your brand voice, but readers love to relate, so if it sounds like something you’d actually say to a friend? You’re on the right track.