Leveraging AI for content creation has proven to be highly effective, increasing productivity up to 5X. However, it’s important to understand how to detect AI-generated content, which can often be identified through certain characteristics.

Examine the writing style

AI-generated text often maintains a highly consistent tone and structure. While human writers adapt their tone based on context or the subject matter, AI tends to stick to one pattern. This makes the content feel predictable, lacking the variability and nuances seen in human-authored writing. The sentence structures are typically simple, sometimes overly so, and repetitive in style. Additionally, the complexity of AI content might seem unnatural—either too formal or too simplified depending on the prompt.

For instance, AI tends to repeat similar sentence patterns or phrase structures, making the writing feel robotic. These types of patterns don’t break, and you can sense a distinct monotony. For example, instead of shifting style or adding personal anecdotes, AI may consistently deliver grammatically correct but formulaic sentences, which can feel less engaging to the reader.

Text formatting issues

AI-generated content frequently exhibits formatting inconsistencies, particularly when handling structured elements like bullet points, headers, and lists. Human writers intuitively understand the importance of maintaining a logical and visually coherent structure to improve readability, but AI can miss these nuances.

List formatting

A common mistake AI makes is mixing different list types, such as starting with numbers and then suddenly switching to bullet points or using too many bullet points. This disrupts the natural flow and makes it harder for the reader to follow the progression of ideas.

AI-generated list example:

1. Benefits of solar energy

• Reduces energy bills

1. Environmental impact

Here, the AI begins with a numbered list, abruptly shifts to a bullet point, and then returns to numbering. This inconsistency is not only jarring to the reader but also reduces the professionalism of the content. In contrast, a human writer would maintain consistency:

Human-generated list example:

1. Benefits of solar energy
2. Reduces energy bills
3. Environmental impact

Misuse of headers

AI can also struggle with applying headers correctly. In some cases, it might use subheadings inconsistently, placing an H2 header where an H3 or H4 would be more appropriate or forgetting to add any headers in relevant sections.

AI header mistake:

H2: How to save energy text: Simple steps to reduce energy consumption.

H2: Turn off devices text: Make sure to turn off all electrical devices when not in use.

Here, the AI uses two H2 headers for separate points that should fall under one broader category. The transition feels abrupt and lacks hierarchy. A human writer would likely structure it like this:

Human header example:

H2: How to save energy

H3: Turn off devices text: Make sure to turn off all electrical devices when not in use.

Capitalization errors

AI-generated content can also struggle with consistent capitalization, or for example for local languages, it still uses capitalization as in the English language and capitalise every word in the headline. For example, it might capitalize bullet points incorrectly, making them look unpolished. In human writing, capitalization is more thoughtfully applied based on style guidelines.

AI example with capitalization mistakes:

• Solar Panels Save Money
• reduce energy bills
• Use Renewable Energy Sources

In this case, the AI improperly capitalized the first bullet while leaving the second uncapitalized. A human writer would ensure consistency:

Human Example:

• Solar panels save money
• Reduce energy bills
• Use renewable energy sources

Identify repetitive patterns

One of the most noticeable features of AI-written content is repetition. This can take the form of repeated phrases, keywords, or concepts throughout the article. AI-driven SEO tools often optimize content by repeating keywords more than a human writer typically would, trying to hit certain SEO metrics. If you observe this overuse of specific terms or repeated ideas in a way that feels forced, there’s a good chance it’s AI-generated.

Assess originality

AI systems draw on vast datasets of existing information, which often leads to generic or surface-level content. AI-generated articles may fail to provide fresh perspectives, nuanced analysis, or detailed insights into a topic. This lack of originality is a red flag, especially if the article covers a broad subject without any unique contributions or expert opinions.

Checking for plagiarism can also help identify AI content. Although AI tools generally create unique text, they can still produce material similar to existing sources, particularly on widely covered topics. Using plagiarism detection software can reveal if the content has significant overlap with other articles or websites.

For instance, if the text has been flagged for repeated phrases or entire sections matching other published works, it could suggest the content has been generated by an AI tool. Additionally, AI struggles with providing unique perspectives, making it essential to check for originality.

Plagiarism checkers also highlight whether the content structure feels formulaic, a hallmark of AI-generated material. Human writers tend to incorporate depth, context, and cultural references that AI struggles to replicate, whereas AI outputs often contain standardized formatting or predictable patterns, which can show up in plagiarism reports.

By combining plagiarism detection metrics with analysis of the content’s depth, flow, and uniqueness, it becomes easier to determine whether the content was AI-written or produced by a human.

Check for contextual errors

AI is improving, but it still struggles with context. You may find that AI-generated content has abrupt transitions or lacks logical flow. For example, it might jump from one idea to another without smooth transitions, or it might leave out important steps in explaining an argument. Similarly, AI may occasionally produce outdated or inaccurate information since it relies on the data available to it, which can sometimes be obsolete or misleading.

A detailed fact-check can expose whether the content has been created by AI—look for inconsistencies or information gaps that a human writer might not overlook.

Evaluate for human touch

Human writers often add personal touches, such as anecdotes, humor, or emotional nuances, making the content feel relatable and engaging. AI-generated articles tend to lack these qualities, which can make the writing feel detached or too formal. Humans typically consider the audience while writing, using rhetorical questions or interactive elements that AI is less likely to include.

Human writing often reflects an emotional connection to the subject matter or an awareness of the reader’s perspective. AI, while highly efficient, produces text that might lack these deeper considerations.

How does Google identify AI content and what patterns in Google do they look for?

Google uses advanced natural language processing models, such as BERT and GPT, to identify AI-generated content by analyzing patterns in sentence structure, syntax, and word usage. These models evaluate the flow of the text, looking for mechanical or predictable phrasing, often seen in AI output. For instance, AI frequently overuses transitional phrases like “however” or “therefore” in predictable sequences. Additionally, Google examines sentence variability, grammar, and complexity. AI-generated content tends to follow rigid structures, while human writing exhibits more natural variation in style and tone.

Google also tracks user engagement metrics such as bounce rates, time on page, and click-through rates to assess content quality. Low engagement could suggest low-quality or AI-generated content, especially if it lacks the depth, nuance, or cultural references typically found in human writing. In addition, Google’s focus on expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) means that content created by experts or containing original research is more likely to rank higher than AI-generated articles, which often rely on generic information.

The models used by Google break down language in sophisticated ways, analyzing sentence length, repetition, and the logical flow of ideas. AI writing often contains repetitive sentence lengths, overly consistent phrasing, and lacks natural transitions, which can easily be detected by these algorithms. For example, AI may write overly simplistic sentences, all of similar length, or frequently use certain patterns of words that make the text sound robotic.

Fact-checking is another critical factor in detecting AI-generated content. AI may produce inaccuracies or outdated information, especially if its dataset isn’t updated frequently. Google cross-references content with verified sources to ensure the information provided is accurate and timely. If the content contains errors or lacks relevant updates, it is flagged as low quality.

One of the biggest challenges for AI-generated content is demonstrating unique insights or expertise. While AI can pull together information from multiple sources, it struggles to offer novel perspectives or deeply analyze topics. Google’s algorithms assess how well a piece of content provides valuable, unique insights that are not easily found elsewhere. AI often produces generic content that covers the surface level without in-depth analysis, making it easier for Google to detect through its models.

Google also looks at how content engages with cultural and contextual factors. AI tends to generalize without accounting for cultural nuances or local contexts, which is another clue that it was machine-generated. A human writer would typically bring in personal experiences or culturally relevant examples, which are often lacking in AI-generated text. This lack of depth is another red flag for Google.

Additionally, the inclusion of relevant keywords and the flow of keyword density play a role. AI-generated content often over-optimizes for SEO, leading to keyword stuffing or unnatural phrasing to meet keyword demands. Google penalizes content that prioritizes SEO over quality, especially when keywords are forced into the text without regard to readability.

Plagiarism is another factor Google considers when determining if content is AI-generated. Even though AI models produce new text, they are trained on vast datasets of existing content, which can lead to unintentional overlaps or close paraphrasing of existing work. Google uses plagiarism detection algorithms to check for such overlaps, especially in common or widely discussed topics. Tools like Turnitin or Copyscape can also be used to check for potential plagiarism.

Manual rewriting can significantly help in bypassing Google’s detection of AI-generated content by adding human creativity, nuance, and variation that AI models often lack. By manually rewriting, writers can avoid predictable patterns, overused transitions, and repetitive phrasing that are typical in AI output. Human authors can also inject personal experiences, cultural references, and deeper insights, which AI struggles with. This makes the content feel more authentic and tailored, improving its originality. Furthermore, rewriting helps to avoid plagiarism issues, ensuring the content passes as unique and engaging for readers and search engines alike.