How to Humanize AI Content

Artificial intelligence in content writing can be a boon and a bane. It’s a blessing for volume production, but it can be a curse when it comes to reader engagement.

Let’s face it: Nobody wants to read robotic-sounding content. And search engines don’t like it either.

But content marketing is all about fulfilling search intent. Whether it’s AI content or human content, your blog posts should be reader-friendly and search engine-friendly.

This is why you should add human experiences to your AI content before publishing it.

Enter AI content humanization. 👋

Humanizing AI-generated content is part of trust-building.

AI Content Humanization: Making Your AI Content Personal

Despite advances in technology, AI-written content often sounds like a college thesis — formal, robotic, basically a snoozefest.

Now the big question is: How do you add human experience or a human point of view (POV) to AI content to make it sound warmer, more personal, and more inviting?

In other words, how do you make it sound like you?

With AI content humanization. 🙋‍♀️

We can start humanizing your content at the most basic level: sentence construction.

AI writing tools are notorious for generating sentences that are too formal, too long, and too mechanical.

There are two ways we can change this: change the point of view and change the voice.

Write from a Second-Person POV

While editing AI content, I’ve noticed bots create a lot of sentences written in the third-person POV. Pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” “him,” “her,” “his,” and “them” are cues that demonstrate a third-person point of view.

In a third-person POV, the content does not talk to the reader but talks about the reader.

Image source: Scribbr

In the example below, the phrase “businesses can save money” is written from a third-person perspective.

To make this sound more like you are the one speaking and not the AI, change the word “businesses” to “you” so it reads “you can save money”, which sounds more conversational.

When editing your AI content, think about talking to your reader as if they’re in the room with you. Any time you encounter sentences that talk about your reader and not to your reader, change that to a second-person POV using “you” language.

Use the Active Voice

Another way to make your sentence sound human is to switch from passive voice to active voice.

Image source: University of Arizona

Writing in a passive voice makes a sentence more complicated than necessary. And people don’t talk that way (usually). 

To make AI content sound more human, it has to talk like a human — which is in the active voice. 

In this example, the subject of the sentence is the “AI program” but it’s not written front and center. Instead, it’s buried towards the end, after the verb.

“While it’s true that short-form writing may be more efficiently handled by an AI program [subject/noun] than a human writer …”

Here’s a big clue that a sentence is in passive voice: when you see the word “by” followed by a noun.

To change this to active voice, pull the noun (the subject) out in front of the verb (the action). Rewrite the sentence to:

“While an AI program [subject/noun] may handle [verb/action] short-form writing more efficiently than a human writer …”

All you have to do is to take the subject of the sentence (AI program) and put it in front of the verb (handle). Instantly, this untangles the sentence, making it easier to read. It sounds less overly complex (like a bot wrote it) and more straightforward.

How to Add Your Human Experience to AI Content

A big part of AI content humanization is making sure your sentences read like an actual human wrote them. Adding these nuances will help nudge your AI content away from hard-to-read, formal, and robotic and toward friendly, engaging, and readable.

But that’s not all you can do.

Another way to humanize AI content is to add your own viewpoint, stories, or expertise.

If you have an opinion about the content topic, then sharing that opinion is a great way to add a human touch to your piece. Show your reader that you are THE expert in this field (and not a bot!) by adding your opinion in places where it adds value or where it’s needed.

In our example article, we’re talking about how the emergence of AI has created a paradigm shift in the writing industry.

If I’m writing this from my perspective, and I’m a writer by profession, this is the perfect opportunity to share my own experience instead of just talking about the general state of the writing industry. I should talk about MY point of view instead of what other people are saying.

I am an expert in this field, so what does this paradigm shift mean for me? How does it affect my work?

All these personal opinions can be valuable in humanizing this piece of content.

Let’s look at the first sentence in this paragraph:

“This new era of automated content production brings both challenges and opportunities for professional writers.”

I can add a paragraph below that to share my own experience.

“For me, as a content writer, this has meant adjusting to a new normal. Now, I’m not the primary writer, I’m the primary editor.”

I would continue to talk about my experience working with AI in content, like how the AI now writes the first draft, taking me out of the tedious brainstorming, research, and outlining processes. Now I’m in the post-draft process which is editing and polishing what the AI wrote.

Remember, all your experiences — your life, your education, what you’ve gone through in your career — these things make you unique and they add a valuable viewpoint that you can share with your audience.

To build trust, you have to be the expert. Insert your opinion where it matters.

Just imagine you were talking to one of your clients, and they need your perspective on a topic. Why not share it? 

Personal experiences are most valuable when writing articles about general topics. 

But sometimes, the entire blog is about sharing your opinion.

For example, this Content Hacker blog is an opinion piece about my favorite AI marketing tools. 

The entire piece is about her perspective, so she uses a first-person point of view.

When you’re writing opinion pieces, you have to give your perspective unequivocally. Don’t be shy in giving your opinion — whether you love or hate something, make sure the content reflects your feelings on the matter.

The Uniqueness of Human Writing Lies in Our Experiences and Emotions

We can’t talk about AI content humanization without also discussing WHY humanization matters so much.

If you think about it carefully, one major edge humans have over machines lies within our ability to create content with depth and emotion.

We as humans develop unique insights that resonate on a personal level with readers — something no machine has mastered yet.

An example? Consider discussing mental health issues.

We all know how delicate such topics are. A writer who shares personal experiences would strike a chord better than any algorithm ever could.

Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as competition (which, by the way, doesn’t make much sense), imagine what combining talented individuals with powerful AI tools could do for your productivity without compromising quality.

This combination works like magic during the idea generation stages. Using advanced natural language processing technology, creators save valuable time gathering relevant ideas online. They then focus more on developing these into engaging stories or articles instead.

Why You Need a Native Speaker for AI Content Humanization

The rise of AI content creation tools has reshaped the digital writing world. But even with all their sophistication and speed, these AI generators aren’t perfect. They need a human touch, specifically that of a native speaker for proofreading.

Machines will always struggle in areas such as humor, satire, and irony — thus emphasizing the important role played by real humans in creative expression.

A native speaker brings an understanding of language nuances that are beyond the reach of any artificial intelligence system at present. They can pick up on idioms, cultural references, or slang terms specific to their language that AI tools can’t grasp.

Let me break down why having your content reviewed by a native speaker is crucial:

• Linguistic Accuracy: This isn’t just about grammar but also syntax, semantics, and punctuation usage — elements critical for clear communication. Studies have shown how minor errors could significantly affect reader comprehension, leading them astray from the original intended meanings.
• Cultural Appropriateness: If you’re creating global content targeting diverse audiences, this becomes especially important. It involves using phrases or expressions fitting societal norms and avoiding potential offense due to misunderstanding culture-specific contexts. Research indicates how culturally inappropriate material could lead to user alienation, hampering brand reputation severely over time.

Tips for Changing AI Writing to Human Writing

Changing AI writing to human writing requires careful consideration and specific techniques. Here are some tips and tricks to achieve AI content humanization:

• Use a conversational tone: Humans typically use a conversational and approachable tone when writing. Avoid overly formal language and opt for a more relaxed style.
• Personal pronouns: Incorporate personal pronouns like “I,” “you,” and “we” to make the writing more personable and engaging.
• Contractions: Humans commonly use contractions (e.g., “can’t,” “won’t,” “it’s”) in their writing, which helps to convey a more natural flow.
• Varied sentence structure: Write in different sentence lengths and structures to avoid a monotonous tone. Mix shorter sentences with longer ones to create a balanced rhythm.
• Emotional language: Humans often express emotions and opinions in their writing. Adding emotional language appropriately can make the content more relatable.
• Real-life examples: Illustrate points with real-life examples or anecdotes to make the writing more relatable.
• Address the reader: Engage the reader by directly addressing them as if they’re in the room with you. For example, use phrases like “Imagine this” or “You might be wondering.”
• Avoid repetition: Repeating the same words or phrases over and over can sound stiff and robotic. Instead, find alternative ways to convey the same idea, and use synonyms.
• Be concise: While using descriptive language helps you sound more human, avoid unnecessary verbosity. Keep sentences and paragraphs concise and to the point.
• Consider your audience: Adapt your writing style to suit your intended audience. Use words and phrases they’ll understand.
• Read and edit aloud: Reading the text aloud can help identify awkward phrasing and unnatural-sounding sentences. Edit as needed to improve flow.
• Empathy and understanding: Empathize with your audience and their problems. Writing like you know and understand them helps build connections and is deeply human.
• Know the context: Pay attention to the context of the writing, including cultural references and current events, to ensure the content aligns with real-world situations.
• Practice and feedback: Improving AI writing to be more human-like may take time and practice. Continuously seek feedback from human editors or readers to refine the approach.

Remember that achieving a completely human-like writing style may not always be the goal. The purpose of AI writing often includes efficiency, accuracy, and scalability, which might not align entirely with replicating human writing. Striking the right balance is essential to create AI-generated content that is both engaging and effective.

Start Adding Human Experience to Content to Build Trust

AI content humanization — adding your human experience to AI content — is crucial if you want to create content that truly resonates with your audience. It’s all about injecting empathy, creativity, and emotion into AI-generated text so that you can connect with your reader on a deeper level.