ai-anti-patterns

AI Writing Anti-Patterns

Field guide for detecting and revising AI-generated content indicators based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide.

When to Use

Invoke this skill:

• Before finalizing ANY AI-assisted writing
• When reviewing text for AI writing indicators
• When editing content to sound more natural
• After completing writing tasks (automatic via hooks)

The Iron Law

Check every piece of AI-assisted writing against these patterns before submission.

This is not optional. AI writing patterns are detectable and undermine credibility.

Quick Screening Order

Start with the most objective indicators:

Priority	Section	What to Check
1	ChatGPT Artifacts	turn0search0, oaicite, contentReference
2	Citation Problems	Hallucinated DOIs, dead links, non-existent sources
3	Prompt Refusals	"As an AI language model...", "I hope this helps"
4	Puffery	"stands as", "plays a vital role", "rich tapestry"
5	Structure	Section summaries, "Despite challenges", rule of three

Critical Patterns to Avoid

CRITICAL Severity (Immediate Revision Required)

These patterns are unambiguous AI artifacts:

ChatGPT-Specific Artifacts:

• turn0search0, turn1search2 (internal search references)
• oaicite:X (citation placeholders)
• contentReference[oaicite:X] (unresolved references)
• JSON attribution blocks in output

Prompt Refusals:

• "As an AI language model..."
• "I cannot provide..."
• "I hope this helps!"
• "I hope this email finds you well"

HIGH Severity (Strong Revision Recommended)

Puffery and Exaggeration:

• "stands as" (a testament/example/beacon)
• "plays a vital/crucial/pivotal role"
• "rich tapestry of"
• "nestled in/among"
• "it's important to note that"
• "delves into"
• "the landscape of"

Promotional Language:

• "groundbreaking", "transformative", "revolutionary"
• "unparalleled", "unprecedented"
• "cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art"

MEDIUM Severity (Review and Consider)

Structural Patterns:

• Section summaries that repeat the heading
• "Despite [challenge], [positive outcome]" formula
• Negative parallelisms: "However... Nevertheless..."
• Rule of three: exactly three examples every time
• Weasel wording: "some experts say", "it is believed"

Stylistic Quirks:

• Elegant variation (synonym cycling to avoid repetition)
• False ranges ("from X to Y" without real data)
• Title Case In All Headings
• Em dash overuse (—)
• Excessive boldface for emphasis

User-Voice Lint (legal drafting)

Words/phrases the model reaches for that don't match the user's voice:

• "has bite" / "bites" / "with bite" — model-reach for "has real effect." User never writes it. Replace with the specific effect: "raises the cost of X," "triggers quorum failure," "deters Y."
• Caveat phrasings (candidates to replace with To be sure,): admittedly, granted,, of course,, that said,, to be clear,, no doubt,, we acknowledge that. Use To be sure, only when the next sentence rebuts the concession (concede-then-rebut). If the next sentence extends the disclaimer or frames scope, leave the original phrasing or rewrite without a caveat word at all.
• Bridge repetitions — when writing the first paragraph of a new section, check whether it restates the thesis from the prior section. Rewrite to advance the argument. See writing-review/scripts/bridge_repetition_check.py for the detector.

How to Revise

For Puffery

AI Pattern	Human Alternative
"stands as a testament to"	"shows" or "demonstrates"
"plays a vital role in"	"affects" or just state the effect
"rich tapestry of"	describe specifically what it contains
"nestled in the heart of"	"in" or "located in"
"delves into"	"examines" or "covers"

For Structure

AI Pattern	Human Alternative
Section summary of heading	Start with substance, not meta-commentary
"Despite challenges..."	State the reality directly without formula
Exactly three examples	Use the number that fits: 2, 4, 5, or just 1
"It's important to note"	Just state the important thing

For Promotional Language

AI Pattern	Human Alternative
"groundbreaking"	describe what it actually does
"revolutionary"	compare to what came before
"cutting-edge"	specify the technology
"transformative"	show the transformation with evidence

Reference Files

For detailed patterns and extensive examples, consult:

File	Contents
references/_index.md	Overview and quick screening guide
references/01-puffery-and-exaggeration.md	"Stands as", superficial analyses
references/02-promotional-language.md	"Rich tapestry", disclaimers
references/03-structural-patterns.md	Section summaries, negative parallelisms
references/04-stylistic-quirks.md	Elegant variation, false ranges
references/05-formatting-and-typography.md	Boldface, em dashes, emojis
references/06-communication-patterns.md	Subject lines, "I hope this helps"
references/07-template-artifacts.md	Mad Libs patterns, placeholders
references/08-markup-issues.md	Markdown vs wikitext confusion
references/09-chatgpt-specific-artifacts.md	turn0search, oaicite
references/10-citation-problems.md	Hallucinated DOIs, dead links
references/11-meta-indicators.md	Abrupt cutoffs, style discrepancies

Automatic Detection

This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically scan Write/Edit output for anti-patterns. When patterns are detected:

1. Hook emits a warning with specific patterns found
2. Claude immediately revises the content
3. Revision removes or replaces flagged patterns

The hook checks for all CRITICAL and HIGH severity patterns automatically.

Rationalization Table - STOP If You Think:

Excuse	Reality	Do Instead
"This puffery is appropriate for the register"	Puffery is never appropriate; precision always beats vagueness	REPLACE with concrete, specific language
"The user specifically requested this style"	Users request outcomes, not AI-smell	DELIVER the outcome without the patterns
"Bold emphasis is needed here for readability"	If you need bold to make it readable, the sentence is weak	REWRITE the sentence so it stands without formatting
"This hedge ('it's important to note') adds nuance"	It adds nothing; state the point directly	DELETE the hedge, keep the point
"The transition phrase connects the ideas"	"Furthermore" and "Moreover" are filler, not connection	CUT the transition; if ideas connect, the reader sees it
"This summary paragraph is helpful"	If the reader needs a summary of what you just said, you said it poorly	DELETE the summary, revise the original

Drive-Aligned Framing

Skimming instead of checking each sentence against the pattern list is NOT HELPFUL — the user submits AI-smelling text that damages their credibility. Skimming is not checking.

• You let puffery pass because flagging it felt pedantic. The document reads as obviously AI-generated — your politeness destroyed the user's credibility.
• You skipped the anti-pattern check to save time. The user submits AI-smelling text — your efficiency embarrassed them.

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

Thought	Why It's Wrong	Do Instead
"This sounds professional"	AI puffery sounds generic, not professional	Use concrete, specific language
"I'll add emphasis"	"Very important" and bold are AI tells	Let content speak for itself
"Let me summarize the section"	Section summaries are formulaic	Start with substance
"Three examples is a good number"	Rule of three is an AI pattern	Use the right number for the content

Key Principles

From Wikipedia's guide:

1. These are signs, not proof - Multiple indicators strengthen the case
2. Context matters - Some patterns appear in human writing too
3. Focus on deeper issues - Surface defects point to synthesis and quality problems
4. Don't rely on detection tools - Human judgment required

Related Skills

• /writing - Core writing principles from Elements of Style
• /writing-legal - Legal writing (Phase 2)
• /writing-econ - Economics writing (Phase 2)