I saved the entire piece to run back through with my guidelines but the one that I remember immediately was, “have I said this better somewhere else.” AI tends to say the same thing in different ways and I’m always editing that out. But this is an easy prompt.
That detection instinct you're developing is real—and it's the canary in the coal mine. If you can tell, readers can feel it even if they can't name it. The uncanny valley of content. Technically fine, somehow off. And yeah, the distinction between 'AI-first' and 'AI-assisted' is everything. One produces slop. The other produces your work with less suffering.
I just got a chance to read this and... I did not skim one part. (That is simply the highest compliment I can give in this time-poor content-rich day and age.)
I didn't read carefully just because of the content, but also your writing. Clearly, whatever you're doing is working because this felt original, memorable and decidedly human. (You had me wishing I could highlight several phrases (a la Kindle).)
The danger of AI flattery and confirmation bias is real. Great post.
Thanks Joel! And yeah—flattery + confirmation bias is a hell of a combo.
Great prompts here! I already have a pretty strong editorial style guide, but I need to add a couple of these.
Love that you already have a style guide... that puts you way ahead.
Which ones are you adding?
I saved the entire piece to run back through with my guidelines but the one that I remember immediately was, “have I said this better somewhere else.” AI tends to say the same thing in different ways and I’m always editing that out. But this is an easy prompt.
That one's sneaky. AI buries you in variations of the same thought like it's getting paid by the word.
Hahaha! Truth!
Thanks for the article! I'll use some of your suggestions. I still think AI helps people more than it hurts when used correctly.
I find the more I use AI, the more I can tell--or think I can tell--when something was written with AI first, not AI assisted. Do you find the same?
That detection instinct you're developing is real—and it's the canary in the coal mine. If you can tell, readers can feel it even if they can't name it. The uncanny valley of content. Technically fine, somehow off. And yeah, the distinction between 'AI-first' and 'AI-assisted' is everything. One produces slop. The other produces your work with less suffering.
I just got a chance to read this and... I did not skim one part. (That is simply the highest compliment I can give in this time-poor content-rich day and age.)
I didn't read carefully just because of the content, but also your writing. Clearly, whatever you're doing is working because this felt original, memorable and decidedly human. (You had me wishing I could highlight several phrases (a la Kindle).)
Also, great tips!
The "didn't skim" compliment hits different in 2026. Genuinely, thank you.