Here’s how I write to make sure nobody thinks I’m an AI

The latest signs of AI writing and how to avoid them

20 Mar 2026, 11:37 · TechRadar

Features By Eric Hal Schwartz published 20 March 2026

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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ChatGPT has a talent for sounding sure of itself. Ask it a question, and it delivers a polished, coherent response. But should you always trust it?

The tone promises authoritative answers, and the confidence is enticing, but it can also mask the fact that the answer is only one possible interpretation of the problem.

A small adjustment to the conversation can switch things up and provide a much more definitive answer. After ChatGPT replies, simply type: "convince me otherwise", and see what it says.

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The same AI that just laid out a neat line of reasoning will then turn around and begin testing it, looking for cracks and weak points it did not mention the first time. You'll be surprised.

The original answer might have recommended a decision, explained a concept, or justified a choice. The follow-up reframes that same material, pulling out limitations, alternative interpretations, and scenarios where the initial conclusion might not hold.

Convince me

It used to be enough for writing to be clear, maybe a little stylish, and free of obvious mistakes. But AI has imposed an evolving and absurd standard that makes clear prose and slightly uncommon punctuation suspect. Your writing might flow off the page, but crash into suspicions that it didn't originate from any human at all.

Accusations of AI writing under my name are incredibly offensive. That said, the way some students, authors, and media companies employ ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI tools means such claims may sometimes be levied in good (if incredibly incorrect) faith. It also means I have to frequently fight my own instincts in constructing and polishing sentences lest they appear to mimic common AI writing patterns. The fact that those patterns are themselves born of their popularity among human writers makes it even more irritating.

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