Writers adopt an anti-AI style to prove their words are human

In short: Some writers are changing how they write on purpose, using more personal and imperfect language so readers do not mistake it for AI.

What's going on

Laura Brooke Robson, a novelist, says she started writing differently while working on her book Love Is an Algorithm. She tried to avoid patterns she associates with AI writing, like neat lists of three points and heavy use of the em dash. She says she now takes “a more winding path” in her sentences.

Robson is not alone. According to Wired, writers across fiction, journalism, criticism, and especially LinkedIn are leaning into what could be called an “anti-AI” style. It often means more first-person stories, more unusual comparisons, and sometimes even small mistakes that show a real person is behind the words (like leaving in a typo on purpose, the way a handwritten note might have a smudge).

Editors say they are noticing the shift too. Aeon editor Richard Fisher said AI has pushed him to encourage writers to be more conversational and to keep “rough edges.” Pitchfork also sent writers a memo saying no AI may be used when filing review copy, and it encouraged first-person perspectives.

Some of this change is also tied to anxiety. Hachette pulled Mia Ballard’s horror novel Shy Girl after online speculation that it used AI, which she denied. In another case, author Steven Rosenbaum later admitted his book included fabricated quotes generated by AI.

What to watch

As more people try to sound “less like a bot,” AI systems may learn to copy these quirks too. One writer quoted by Wired argues that the only lasting way to stand out is simple, but hard, good writing.

Source: Wired