Agent Skills: AI Writing Anti-Patterns

AI Writing Anti-Patterns

Field guide for detecting and revising AI-generated content indicators based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide.

When to Use

Invoke this skill:

• Before finalizing ANY AI-assisted writing
• When reviewing text for AI writing indicators
• When editing content to sound more natural
• After completing writing tasks (automatic via hooks)

The Iron Law

Check every piece of AI-assisted writing against these patterns before submission.

This is not optional. AI writing patterns are detectable and undermine credibility.

Quick Screening Order

Start with the most objective indicators:

| Priority | Section | What to Check | |----------|---------|---------------| | 1 | ChatGPT Artifacts | turn0search0, oaicite, contentReference | | 2 | Citation Problems | Hallucinated DOIs, dead links, non-existent sources | | 3 | Prompt Refusals | "As an AI language model...", "I hope this helps" | | 4 | Puffery | "stands as", "plays a vital role", "rich tapestry" | | 5 | Structure | Section summaries, "Despite challenges", rule of three |

Critical Patterns to Avoid

CRITICAL Severity (Immediate Revision Required)

These patterns are unambiguous AI artifacts:

ChatGPT-Specific Artifacts:

• turn0search0, turn1search2 (internal search references)
• oaicite:X (citation placeholders)
• contentReference[oaicite:X] (unresolved references)
• JSON attribution blocks in output

Prompt Refusals:

• "As an AI language model..."
• "I cannot provide..."
• "I hope this helps!"
• "I hope this email finds you well"

HIGH Severity (Strong Revision Recommended)

Puffery and Exaggeration:

• "stands as" (a testament/example/beacon)
• "plays a vital/crucial/pivotal role"
• "rich tapestry of"
• "nestled in/among"
• "it's important to note that"
• "delves into"
• "the landscape of"

Promotional Language:

• "groundbreaking", "transformative", "revolutionary"
• "unparalleled", "unprecedented"
• "cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art"

MEDIUM Severity (Review and Consider)

Structural Patterns:

• Section summaries that repeat the heading
• "Despite [challenge], [positive outcome]" formula
• Negative parallelisms: "However... Nevertheless..."
• Rule of three: exactly three examples every time
• Weasel wording: "some experts say", "it is believed"

Stylistic Quirks:

• Elegant variation (synonym cycling to avoid repetition)
• False ranges ("from X to Y" without real data)
• Title Case In All Headings
• Em dash overuse (—)
• Excessive boldface for emphasis

How to Revise

For Puffery

| AI Pattern | Human Alternative | |------------|-------------------| | "stands as a testament to" | "shows" or "demonstrates" | | "plays a vital role in" | "affects" or just state the effect | | "rich tapestry of" | describe specifically what it contains | | "nestled in the heart of" | "in" or "located in" | | "delves into" | "examines" or "covers" |

For Structure

| AI Pattern | Human Alternative | |------------|-------------------| | Section summary of heading | Start with substance, not meta-commentary | | "Despite challenges..." | State the reality directly without formula | | Exactly three examples | Use the number that fits: 2, 4, 5, or just 1 | | "It's important to note" | Just state the important thing |

For Promotional Language

| AI Pattern | Human Alternative | |------------|-------------------| | "groundbreaking" | describe what it actually does | | "revolutionary" | compare to what came before | | "cutting-edge" | specify the technology | | "transformative" | show the transformation with evidence |

Reference Files

For detailed patterns and extensive examples, consult:

| File | Contents | |------|----------| | references/_index.md | Overview and quick screening guide | | references/01-puffery-and-exaggeration.md | "Stands as", superficial analyses | | references/02-promotional-language.md | "Rich tapestry", disclaimers | | references/03-structural-patterns.md | Section summaries, negative parallelisms | | references/04-stylistic-quirks.md | Elegant variation, false ranges | | references/05-formatting-and-typography.md | Boldface, em dashes, emojis | | references/06-communication-patterns.md | Subject lines, "I hope this helps" | | references/07-template-artifacts.md | Mad Libs patterns, placeholders | | references/08-markup-issues.md | Markdown vs wikitext confusion | | references/09-chatgpt-specific-artifacts.md | turn0search, oaicite | | references/10-citation-problems.md | Hallucinated DOIs, dead links | | references/11-meta-indicators.md | Abrupt cutoffs, style discrepancies |

Automatic Detection

This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically scan Write/Edit output for anti-patterns. When patterns are detected:

1. Hook emits a warning with specific patterns found
2. Claude immediately revises the content
3. Revision removes or replaces flagged patterns

The hook checks for all CRITICAL and HIGH severity patterns automatically.

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

| Thought | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead | |---------|----------------|------------| | "This sounds professional" | AI puffery sounds generic, not professional | Use concrete, specific language | | "I'll add emphasis" | "Very important" and bold are AI tells | Let content speak for itself | | "Let me summarize the section" | Section summaries are formulaic | Start with substance | | "Three examples is a good number" | Rule of three is an AI pattern | Use the right number for the content |

Key Principles

From Wikipedia's guide:

1. These are signs, not proof - Multiple indicators strengthen the case
2. Context matters - Some patterns appear in human writing too
3. Focus on deeper issues - Surface defects point to synthesis and quality problems
4. Don't rely on detection tools - Human judgment required

Related Skills

• /writing - Core writing principles from Elements of Style
• /writing-legal - Legal writing (Phase 2)
• /writing-econ - Economics writing (Phase 2)