Honestly, the more I look at these “how to catch AI content” threads, the more I think we’re living in that meme of the guy pointing at conspiracy strings on his wall. Look, AI writing usually has its fingerprints—repetitive terms, zero spicy opinions, flourishes like “in today’s ever-changing world,” etc. But it’s not just about style. What the other replies didn’t touch on much: context & intent. Try taking that weird phrasing you noticed and translating it a couple times (say English → Spanish → English). AI stuff tends to degrade super predictably and samesy, while real human weirdness gets even stranger, if that makes sense.
Another left field trick: Analyze formatting and metadata. AI spill-outs are sometimes “machine neat”—formatted too perfectly, with evenly balanced paragraph sizes, or copyright statements that repeat quietly in the footer. Humans? We’re messy as heck.
Also, don’t ignore the weird human instinct for subtle mistakes—typos, mixed metaphors, sudden switches in tone. If you’re seeing a suspicious lack of any of those, I’d bet on AI, but don’t ignore the possibility of an overzealous editor (or someone whose native language isn’t English). Oh, and “ask the author a follow-up” is solid advice, but there are plenty of bots that’ll try to fake it, just messier.
So, to conclude in classic internet brevity: You’ll never know for sure, and overthinking it might make you sound like you’re auditioning for a decade-old episode of Black Mirror, but combine their checklists with a little lateral thinking and you’ll typically get within striking range. Or, just shrug and enjoy the chaos—half the internet is bots anyway.