How to spot AI-assisted fanfics
Before I say anything else, I just want to clarify that I'm heavily against the usage of genAI tools. This post is for people who share that opinion.
Disclaimer: I'm not trying to stand atop a moral soapbox or anything - I used to work a corporate 9-5, and in my last few months, my company was literally shoving AI down our throats. I understand that for a lot of us, it's getting difficult to avoid, and a lot of people don't have a choice, because being unemployed in this current job market is a scary fate to face. I'd never judge anyone for that. This post is a callout of those who use AI to generate or edit fanfic/other forms of art to gain online attention. I also want to emphasize that AI models are trained using art created by humans, it detects patterns that have long existed in our writing style, so please do not write off a fanfic as AI-generated if it contains one of these. These are indications that stand true if used repeatedly and, usually, nonsensically.
I've been seeing so much fanfic lately that's very clearly been written by AI tools - especially GPT. As an emdash addict myself, I usually give them the benefit of the doubt, but there are a few other indications of AI-assisted writing that can be spotted in the prose itself, and here are a few examples of those:
1. Not ______, but _______
The "not x, but y" format is often used by AI models because they are trained to predict what is statistically the most used, "high-quality" language pattern that's safe from sounding robotic. This structure creates a false sense of nuance and authority whilst minimizing errors by telling you what something is not.
2. The ______? It's _______
Again, this format mimics a persuasive and professional tone. I see this one most commonly on LinkedIn. For example, someone will 'write' a whole paragraph of a common practice, or something they achieved, and end it with them answering a question nobody asked. In fanfic, it'll usually be used in the ending, and look something like "And (character name)? They vowed to themselves that they'd never leave again." That was a very bland example, but hopefully you get the gist.
AI models don't know how to pace things so that they can naturally build tension. For example, if I were plotting a fanfic that was to have a huge angsty plot twist, I'd use small indicators to symbolize something unsettling. There are several reasons AI can't do that, mostly because it wouldn't know what would happen when it needs to be followed through. Plot twists are usually immediate and whiplash-like. Everyone in the fic would be chilling, and then you'll see phrasing akin to "little did they know" or "suddenly, there was" without warning.
4. Dialogue with no nuance
This might be too specific for some, but remember how wattpad writers used to write dialogue for Harry Styles in 1D fanfic? It would always be text that resembled mumbling to capture his real life talking habits and northern English accent. For example, "It's all my fault. I'm sorry" would be written as "'S all m' fault. 'M sorry, love" with voice descriptions such as 'deep' and 'husky'. AI usually generates dialogues in full sentences, rarely using slang or nuance to resemble how humans actually talk, including subtext and/pr nicknames.
That's all I can think of for now! I'll reblog and add more as I remember them!
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
