De-AI writing

Rewrite content so it reads as written by a knowledgeable person, by removing the patterns catalogued in Wikipedia's Signs of AI writing (WikiProject AI Cleanup). The full catalogue, with words to watch and a before/after fix for each sign, is in references/signs.md. Read it before the first rewrite in a session; it is the source of truth for what counts as a sign.

Why this works the way it does

The Wikipedia guide makes a point worth holding on to: the signs are symptoms. Language models regress to the most statistically common phrasing, so specific facts get smoothed into generic, important-sounding statements. Swapping a flagged word for a synonym, or an em dash for an en dash, hides the symptom and keeps the problem. The aim is text that says specific things plainly. When you fix a sentence, fix what it is doing (puffing up, hedging, correcting a misconception nobody raised), not just the word that tripped the scanner.

Workflow

1. Get the text. Pasted text, a file, a folder of files, or a built website. For a codebase or site, find where the copy actually lives (data files, CMS exports, templates) and edit there, not in generated output.
2. Scan it. If you can run code, use the bundled scanner for a baseline:

   python3 scripts/check_ai_signs.py <file(s)>      # .txt, .md or .html; "-" reads stdin
   python3 scripts/check_ai_signs.py <file> --summary

   It reports each matching sentence under its sign number. It catches pattern-matchable signs only. Rule of three, elegant variation, puffed-up structure and summary endings need your own read. Without code execution, do the same pass by hand using references/signs.md.
3. Rewrite. Go sentence by sentence through everything flagged, then read the whole piece once more for the judgement signs. Rules for the rewrite:
   • Keep every fact, number, name, date, link and claim. De-AI'ing changes how things are said, never what is said. If a sentence was only padding, delete it; if it carried a fact, keep the fact.
   • Keep the author's voice and conventions: person (I/we/you), spelling (UK/US), tone, formatting system (Markdown, HTML, JSX, plain text), and any length limits (SEO titles ~60 characters, meta descriptions ~155, button labels).
   • Never alter quotations of real people or sources, titles of works, or legal text.
   • Em dashes: rewrite with commas, colons, parentheses or full stops. Don't substitute another dash. One or two in a long piece is fine.
   • Contrasts ("not X but Y", "rather than", "not just… it's"): state the positive claim on its own unless a reader genuinely would assume the opposite.
   • Unknowns: if the original says something isn't known, keep that honesty, but say it once, concretely, with what the reader should do ("Hours aren't posted; call ahead"). Don't pad it with speculation.
   • Plain words: is/has instead of serves as/boasts; used, tried, moved, to, before.
   • Don't over-correct. Perfect grammar, formal register, a single transition word or an unsourced claim are not signs (see section 7 of the reference). Leave clean sentences alone.
4. Re-scan and re-read. Run the scanner again and aim for zero hits. A hit you keep on purpose (a quotation, a proper noun like "Key Largo", a word used literally, such as "landscape" for a painting) is fine; note it in your report.
5. Report briefly. Give the rewritten text (or confirm files were edited), then a short note: sign counts before → after, two or three representative before/after examples, and anything left in deliberately. Keep the note short; the rewrite is the deliverable.

Quick reference

The signs, in brief (details and fixes in references/signs.md):

Example

Input

Nestled in the heart of the city, our café stands as a testament to the town's rich cultural heritage — it's not just a coffee shop, it's a gathering place. Additionally, the menu boasts a diverse array of pastries, showcasing our commitment to quality. While specific details about opening hours are not widely documented, it's important to note that hours may vary.

Output

Our café is on the main square, in a building that has been a bakery since 1911. People come for the coffee and stay for hours. We bake about twenty kinds of pastry each morning. Opening hours change with the seasons, so check our Instagram before you visit.

(The details "1911", "twenty kinds" and "Instagram" would come from the user. If the facts aren't available, ask, or write the plain version without them: "Our café is on the main square. We bake pastries every morning. Hours change with the seasons, so check before you visit." Never invent facts to replace puffery.)