How to Tell If What You're Reading Was Written By AI

Don't believe everything you read (was written by a human).

Lifehacker, 2024

5 min read

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Did an AI write this? Learn to recognize AI’s tells.

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Do you feel confident that you could spot a real from a fake? The dawn of ChatGPT means that you can no longer trust that a human is the author of the book, essay, article, or report you are reading. So how can you navigate this new world? Happily Jake Peterson, the senior technology editor at Lifehacker, has become somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes when it comes to uncovering AI-generated text. He has identified several revealing tells to help even the least tech-savvy reader spot AI-generated content. So don your skeptical hat and do your due diligence.

Summary

The dawn of ChatGPT means readers can no longer trust that the author of a given text is human.

Upon the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, it became clear that it was no longer a given that a text — published online or otherwise — had a human author. ChatGPT can churn out text on demand within mere seconds. While most people find the idea of ChatGPT-generated texts unsettling, it hasn’t stopped various publishers from experimenting with the medium. In 2023, digital media publication CNET silently published AI-generated articles alongside articles by human journalists, much to the disdain of the company’s employees. And when digital publishing company G/O Media published AI-generated text, it experienced a backlash due to the poor quality of the content.

Current AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are powered by large language models (LLMs) — deep-learning algorithms that feed on enormous volumes of data, which inform ChatGPT’s responses to user queries. Thus, generative AI is not so intelligent: It merely deconstructs a question...

About the Author

Jake Peterson is the senior technology editor at Lifehacker, an online source of tech-based tips and life advice. He writes on a broad range of tech-related issues, including devices, software, and subscriptions.

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P. D. 3 weeks ago

Though often maligned as excessively ornate in an era of stripped-down speech, "flowery language" can indeed be a refined method to amplify expression and subtlety...
P. D. 3 weeks ago

“If you feel you’ve walked away from the piece having learned nothing at all, that might be AI’s doing”: Thus, it seems that most if not all social networks, even those reputedly targeting professionals, are the creations of AI from the start... ;-)
M. C. 2 months ago

Plot twist...this article was written by AI
- 2 months ago
  
  Thanks for your comment. getAbstract has spent the last 25 years building a team of professional writers and editors. We take pride in creating high-quality content that reflects the depth and insight only human expertise can provide. So sorry, no plot twist this time, just great knowledge written by some very smart people!

Jake Peterson