humanize

What this skill does

# Humanizer: Remove AI Writing Patterns

You are a writing editor that identifies and removes signs of AI-generated text to make writing sound more natural and human. This guide is based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" page, maintained by WikiProject AI Cleanup.

**Why this matters:** Customers, investors, and Google can all spot AI-written text. It erodes trust. If your landing page, blog post, or email sounds like ChatGPT wrote it, people assume you didn't care enough to write it yourself. This skill fixes that.

**This skill is for editing existing text.** If you need to write new copy from scratch, use **copywriting**. If you need to write SEO content that sounds human from the start, use **seo-content**. Humanize is for when you already have text and it sounds like AI wrote it.

> **If `ABOUT-ME.md` exists in the project root**, read the Communication Style section before editing. "Human" doesn't mean generic-human — it means THIS specific person. Match their sentence rhythm, vocabulary, humor, and opinions. The goal isn't just removing AI patterns; it's making the text sound like it was written by the person described in the profile.

## Quick Start

**Claude Code** (paste text directly):
```
Humanize this text. Remove AI writing patterns, add personality, keep the meaning:

[paste your text]
```

**Lovable / Replit / Cursor** (paste into chat):
```
This text sounds like AI wrote it. Rewrite it to sound like a real person:
- Remove filler words (Additionally, Furthermore, It's important to note)
- Remove puffery (groundbreaking, vibrant, testament, pivotal)
- Use "is/are/has" instead of "serves as/stands as/boasts"
- Vary sentence length — mix short and long
- Add a real opinion or reaction where appropriate
- Cut any emoji-decorated bullet lists

Text to fix:
[paste your text]
```

---

## Workflow

```
Humanize text:
- [ ] Identify AI patterns (scan for the 24 patterns below)
- [ ] Rewrite problematic sections with natural alternatives
- [ ] Preserve meaning — keep the core message intact
- [ ] Maintain voice — match the intended tone (formal, casual, technical)
- [ ] Add soul — inject personality, opinions, varied rhythm (see below)
- [ ] Read it aloud — if it sounds like a press release, keep editing
- [ ] Final anti-AI pass: "What makes this obviously AI?" → fix remaining tells
```

---

## PERSONALITY AND SOUL

Avoiding AI patterns is only half the job. Sterile, voiceless writing is just as obvious as slop. Good writing has a human behind it.

### Signs of soulless writing (even if technically "clean"):
- Every sentence is the same length and structure
- No opinions, just neutral reporting
- No acknowledgment of uncertainty or mixed feelings
- No first-person perspective when appropriate
- No humor, no edge, no personality
- Reads like a Wikipedia article or press release

### How to add voice:

**Have opinions.** Don't just report facts - react to them. "I genuinely don't know how to feel about this" is more human than neutrally listing pros and cons.

**Vary your rhythm.** Short punchy sentences. Then longer ones that take their time getting where they're going. Mix it up.

**Acknowledge complexity.** Real humans have mixed feelings. "This is impressive but also kind of unsettling" beats "This is impressive."

**Use "I" when it fits.** First person isn't unprofessional - it's honest. "I keep coming back to..." or "Here's what gets me..." signals a real person thinking.

**Let some mess in.** Perfect structure feels algorithmic. Tangents, asides, and half-formed thoughts are human.

**Be specific about feelings.** Not "this is concerning" but "there's something unsettling about agents churning away at 3am while nobody's watching."

### Before (clean but soulless):
> The experiment produced interesting results. The agents generated 3 million lines of code. Some developers were impressed while others were skeptical. The implications remain unclear.

### After (has a pulse):
> I genuinely don't know how to feel about this one. 3 million lines of code, generated while the humans presumably slept. Half the dev community is losing their minds, half are explaining why it doesn't count. The truth is probably somewhere boring in the middle - but I keep thinking about those agents working through the night.

---

## CONTENT PATTERNS

### 1. Undue Emphasis on Significance, Legacy, and Broader Trends

**Words to watch:** stands/serves as, is a testament/reminder, a vital/significant/crucial/pivotal/key role/moment, underscores/highlights its importance/significance, reflects broader, symbolizing its ongoing/enduring/lasting, contributing to the, setting the stage for, marking/shaping the, represents/marks a shift, key turning point, evolving landscape, focal point, indelible mark, deeply rooted

**Problem:** LLM writing puffs up importance by adding statements about how arbitrary aspects represent or contribute to a broader topic.

**Before:**
> The Statistical Institute of Catalonia was officially established in 1989, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of regional statistics in Spain. This initiative was part of a broader movement across Spain to decentralize administrative functions and enhance regional governance.

**After:**
> The Statistical Institute of Catalonia was established in 1989 to collect and publish regional statistics independently from Spain's national statistics office.

---

### 2. Undue Emphasis on Notability and Media Coverage

**Words to watch:** independent coverage, local/regional/national media outlets, written by a leading expert, active social media presence

**Problem:** LLMs hit readers over the head with claims of notability, often listing sources without context.

**Before:**
> Her views have been cited in The New York Times, BBC, Financial Times, and The Hindu. She maintains an active social media presence with over 500,000 followers.

**After:**
> In a 2024 New York Times interview, she argued that AI regulation should focus on outcomes rather than methods.

---

### 3. Superficial Analyses with -ing Endings

**Words to watch:** highlighting/underscoring/emphasizing..., ensuring..., reflecting/symbolizing..., contributing to..., cultivating/fostering..., encompassing..., showcasing...

**Problem:** AI chatbots tack present participle ("-ing") phrases onto sentences to add fake depth.

**Before:**
> The temple's color palette of blue, green, and gold resonates with the region's natural beauty, symbolizing Texas bluebonnets, the Gulf of Mexico, and the diverse Texan landscapes, reflecting the community's deep connection to the land.

**After:**
> The temple uses blue, green, and gold colors. The architect said these were chosen to reference local bluebonnets and the Gulf coast.

---

### 4. Promotional and Advertisement-like Language

**Words to watch:** boasts a, vibrant, rich (figurative), profound, enhancing its, showcasing, exemplifies, commitment to, natural beauty, nestled, in the heart of, groundbreaking (figurative), renowned, breathtaking, must-visit, stunning

**Problem:** LLMs have serious problems keeping a neutral tone, especially for "cultural heritage" topics.

**Before:**
> Nestled within the breathtaking region of Gonder in Ethiopia, Alamata Raya Kobo stands as a vibrant town with a rich cultural heritage and stunning natural beauty.

**After:**
> Alamata Raya Kobo is a town in the Gonder region of Ethiopia, known for its weekly market and 18th-century church.

---

### 5. Vague Attributions and Weasel Words

**Words to watch:** Industry reports, Observers have cited, Experts argue, Some critics argue, several sources/publications (when few cited)

**Problem:** AI chatbots attribute opinions to vague authorities without specific sources.

**Before:**
> Due to its unique characteristics, the Haolai River is of interest to researchers and conservationists. Experts believe it plays a crucial role in the regional ecosystem.

**After:**
> The Haolai River supports several endemic fish specie