How to Humanize AI-Generated Content to Be More Authentic
Because authenticity is becoming rare — and we all feel it.
More and more content on social media, especially on business platforms like LinkedIn, is generated by AI. You’ve probably noticed it too: posts, replies, even DMs and emails that all sound oddly polished, predictable, and empty — almost as if written by the same person. That person? Likely ChatGPT or a similar AI.
At first, the novelty was impressive. But now? It's making professional networking increasingly stale. When every comment says, “Great insights!” or every message opens with, “Hope this finds you well,” with a request to leave a comment with a keyword to spiral the post viral, it’s no wonder many readers scroll past without engaging.
What happened to the power of personal tone, vulnerable storytelling, real leadership?
I touched on this in my piece “True Leadership is Authentic” — and the point remains: humans connect with humans, not machines.
So, how can we use AI without sounding like AI?
Let’s dive in.
Use Better Prompts: You Get What You Ask For
One of the most common beginner mistakes when using ChatGPT is saying:
“Rephrase this.”
But frankly speaking — that's beginner level.
If you ask vague questions, you’ll get generic answers. If you give generic instructions, you’ll get stereotypical content.
Instead, try this approach:
Prompt like a Pro:
Here are examples of how to instruct e.g. ChatGPT (and what results to expect):
“Write this like a top coach would: direct, no fluff, no excuses.”
Gets you straight-talking content with clarity.“Rewrite using the 3-2-1 method: 3 arguments, 2 emotions, 1 clear message.”
Balances logic and emotion perfectly.“Summarize with max. 100 words, no content loss, high impact.”
Strips filler, leaves only the essentials.“Turn it into a 20-second elevator pitch – concise and persuasive.”
Great for intros, bios, or pitches.“End with a question that provokes thought and encourages comments.”
Sparks conversation and engagement.“Rewrite like a ghostwriter for a TED speaker.”
Clear, strong, powerful tone.“Use strong visuals and active language to evoke a specific emotion.”
For storytelling that resonates.“Let the text show status and expertise without sounding arrogant.”
The art of humble credibility.“Make it a micro-story: Problem → Turning Point → Solution, in 4 sentences.”
People remember stories.“Trigger action using the CLEAR formula: Clarity – Logic – Emotion – Action – Result.”
Moves your reader from awareness to action.
These aren’t tricks — they’re communication tools. Learn them, master them, make them your own.
Mix AI with AI (and Yourself) to Create Realism
Here’s something you probably haven’t tried yet: Let one AI clean or summarize your raw input, then let another expand it.
Why? Because when different AI tools mix their "voices", the output sounds less templated, more nuanced — almost like it came from a human.
“When (AI)-generated information mixes, authenticity appears.” —
Recipe for a More Human-Sounding Post:
Record a short voicenote with your thoughts.
Let an AI like NotebookLM summarize what you said.
Feed that summary into ChatGPT, asking it to build on your ideas or write it into a story, pitch, or post.
Add a final personal touch: edit 2–3 lines yourself to reflect your tone.
Result? It no longer feels like something AI wrote for you, but something you co-created.
This extra step adds friction — yes. But the output is worth the effort.
Your ideas, shaped with AI, still sound like you.
Stay Invisible: Avoid Getting Flagged as “Just Another AI Post or Email”
Some AI-generated content has a hidden signature — quite literally.
Did you know?
Some ChatGPT responses (and other LLMs) embed invisible Unicode characters, such as soft hyphens (U+00AD). These don’t show up in the text but can serve as an invisible watermark. They might trigger filters, detection algorithms, or just annoy recipients who notice the pattern.
Here’s how to avoid being flagged as “another AI spammer”:
Do this:
Don’t just copy and paste raw output from your AI.
Always review and rewrite at least the opening and closing lines.Check your text for hidden characters.
Use a Zero Width Character Detector — it's free and catches common invisible symbols.Tell your AI to avoid these characters in your prompt:
“Write this without using Unicode soft hyphens or invisible characters.”Train yourself to spot AI tone and avoid it.
If it sounds too balanced, too structured, or oddly neutral, it might need your voice injected back in.Avoid Emoticons.
Nice to see they are, yet even less meaning they often convey. Unless there is a real need, just leave them out, or at least: own by choosing them yourself.
Final Thought: Your Authentic Voice Still Matters
Even before AI, authenticity was rare.
With AI? It’s even harder to find — but also more valuable when it shines through.
The truth is: if you don’t know how to express yourself, no AI will make you sound authentic. But if you do — if you’ve practiced writing, speaking, reflecting, storytelling — AI becomes an amplifier, not a mask.
So use it wisely. Use it like a tool, not a crutch. Perhaps one day we’ll even let people know openly, when or how much we wrote to them was done using AI.
Because in a world of predictable posts, robotic emails, and dull comments, your human voice is what stands out.
Written with ChatGPT, humanized by
.Inspired by: True Leadership is Authentic