How to Avoid Being Penalized by an AI Writing Detector

These days, AI writing with tools like Chat GPT and Jasper are very popular – and very controversial. Academics and teachers worry that their students will use the tools to cheat. Businesses are concerned about the potential of AI use on their website SEO. And writers worry that machines will take over their jobs. To enforce a “no AI” rule, many businesses and schools use an AI writing detector.

All of this controversy avoids one very important point: AI has been in use for many years. For instance, Grammarly is an almost ubiquitous AI content generation aid, though it mostly helps human writers make their content better. But what about AI content generation from scratch? If you use the tips in this article, you have a great chance of avoiding the AI detector penalty.

How an AI writing detector works

Ironically, these tools are also AI-based computer programs, so they “tell” on their fellow programs. It’s a battle of the machines. However, because they still have limited abilities to “think,” it’s easier for people to outsmart the program. Understanding the basis by which detectors find AI content generation also helps explain how you can avoid detection.

Essentially, an AI writing detector analyzes the text to see if the writing has certain attributes typically associated with computer-based writing. For instance, AI programs will often use formulas for sentences and use paragraph structures that a human writer typically wouldn’t. As a human reader, you may think the text is “robotic.”

Another thing that these tools consider is word usage. AI content generation tools often misuse words or overuse various cliches. This makes the writing look canned or artificial, and the automated content detectors will see this right away.

Strategies to avoid penalties from an AI writing detector

Short of not using AI content generation programs, there are several ways you can avoid having your content flagged as artificial. Each of these techniques targets different aspects of the vetting process. However, not all of them improve the overall content quality. For best results, use more than one approach and use an AI writing detector program yourself to make sure you’re successful.

Don’t let the program do everything

One of the best ways to avoid getting penalized by an AI content detector is by not letting the AI content generation tool do everything. These tools can perform a wide range of tasks, from simple research to completing blog posts. However, this doesn’t mean you need to maximize the automation to use AI successfully.

Here’s an example. Many experts say that using AI for research purposes or for checking text later is typically acceptable. An AI content generation tool can give you an outline and sources list for your blog post or other work. You could even use this technique for a longer piece.

The reason why this technique is so effective is that you’re using AI for only part of the assignment. In other words, you must use the outline and sources to create the finished product, and in so doing, you’ll have completely human language patterns.

This approach is almost foolproof.

Reword the content

Another way you can evade an AI writing detector is by rewording the content. Depending on your text and the AI content generation tool you used, this can take more or less effort. For instance, your text might seem very natural, in which case you won’t have to make very many changes. Smooth out the sentence transitions, take out the misused words, and you might well be in a good position. A tool like Grammarly Premium and a thesaurus can help you do this level of editing.

If you need to do a complete rewrite, then you can look into other AI tools. One often-mentioned tool is QuillBot. This tool will take your text and completely spin it to make something new. The changes happen without altering the meaning of your sentences so that you won’t lose the accuracy of your original text.

Unfortunately, using QuillBot and other spinning tools won’t always produce the best text. That’s because the latest AI content generation tools produce text that usually reads smoothly, and the spinning tool can break this up fast. In other words, you might get an even choppier final product than you had before.

Give the right prompt

Image Source: Byword 

Many of the latest tools, like Chat GPT, are learning to “outsmart” the AI writing detector. If that is, you ask it to. You can do this by adding a qualifier in the prompt, such as “Be sure to avoid AI detection.” There are different phrases to use for this technique, but the idea is that your content tool will phrase the final product so that it doesn’t display the red flags of AI-generated content.

According to NBC News, this approach is highly effective. In fact, when Open AI released its AI writing detector, called AI Text Classifier, the program only detected “likely” AI around 26% of the time. When the text was generated by Chat GPT, developed by the same company, the percentage was much lower.

Why does this work? Simply put, both AI content generators and AI checkers go by the same rules. In other words, humans program both types of programs with the same telltale signs of AI use. That way, the content generators can avoid making the mistakes that the checkers are looking for. And while this is never 100% successful, it reduces the chances of detection substantially.

Final thoughts

While many businesses are hesitant to use AI content generation due to detection issues and fear of Google, there are many ways to mitigate the risks. Not only can you leverage human involvement in certain stages of content creation, but you can also use AI tools to avoid detection. This works through the detection evasion aspects of an AI prompt.

Of course, there’s another option for AI content that doesn’t involve more AI – a human editor. Here at WriterArmy, we use human editors to work on your AI-generated text to pass all tests. Plus, they can add anecdotes and other elements to make your text as personal as possible while also saving you money. Contact us today for a free consultation.