hi everyone! It has come to my attention that many people are having trouble distinguishing whether text is ai-generated. as someone who recently wrote a college paper and gave a presentation on ai in creative spaces, I wanted to talk about it and how you can tell if text is ai slop or human work.
yes, this is the real title page i used for the presentation
note: all screenshots in this post were taken from different authors who i believe display traits of ai writing, unless stated otherwise. i will not be naming them. this post is not to encourage hate, but to bring awareness to the topic.
first, lets go over what does NOT indicate ai text:
use of emdashes (—)
i love my em dash. alt 0151 my beloved. em dashes are a hallmark of human writing and date back to the 15th century. they fell out of use when type writers came into market (as there was no button for it), but they remain in literature use to this day.
curly or smart quotes (“ ” / ‘ ’)
i recently found out this is a default setting for apple devices. if someone types on an ipad, it's likely that their work will spit out curly quotes. that being said, it's glaringly obvious that ai has been used in the context when the work shifts from straight quotes to curly quotes. example:
single sentence paragraph pacing: one of the most IMMEDIATE giveaways is the staccato pacing. LLMs are trained to be highly readable, which often results in...
constant line breaks—almost every sentence/short phrase is in its own paragraph. while human authors do this occasionally for dramatics, ai uses it as a default setting to create a "poetic" or "profound" feel.
excessive em dash usage—i love my em dash. i have the alt code memorised by heart(alt0151). ai just... uses them to create fake tension or lack of breath.
lack of paragraph density—there are no "meaty" paragraphs (for lack of a better word). humans typically vary in paragraph length, mixing long descriptions with short burst of action.
(this was from my presentation. i marked the one that was ai gen with blue (as i have been so far), but i'd hope it's obvious anyway.)
2. "The Gaze" and micro-physicality: LLMs have a specific way of describing physical intimacy and tension that focuses on a predictable set of actions. for example, The Eye-Flick
(these are both from the same author, different fics posted a day apart)
this "eye-to-mouth-to-eye" sequence is a staple in ai writing for romantic tension. don't get me wrong, human writers do this too (i might have even done it before idr), but there's a point where it's in every single piece an "author" puts out and you start to wonder if they have any other thoughts in their mind other than "grok make romance"
hands/wrist focus—the description of the thumb resting on the wrist to feel a pulse ("Fast. Human.") is a very common AI sensory beat. it uses "human" as a shorthand for emotional weight in a way that feels slightly detached. because... ai doesn't feel emotion. it doesn't understand tension. (also, ai's are OBSESSED with the concept of humanity, so adding in a "human" here and there makes it feel more ""human"" in a way it never will be.)
for example, i have 2 uses of the word "human" in a fic i am writing that currently has ~60k words total. here are all 2 uses:
3. sentence echos, rules of 3 and symmetry—AI often repeats sentence structures for emphasis, which is repetitive and blatant when overused.
the "not this, but that" construction—
now, this one needs some nuance. human's love 3's. the rule of three has been around in writing forever. it's seen a lot in children's books (goldilocks and the three bears, three blind mice, three muskateers, etc) but LLM's have a tendency to overuse the rule of 3, ESPECIALLY when using adjectives, which makes the writing lack depth despite being bloated. that being said, here are some examples that i think are sus—
(a side note, i would like to thank @moesthinking for highlighting this blog—in the first 3 images—in their anti-ai post. it has been so useful for examples.) (im sorry for tagging you i hope you dont get scared immediately IUGHAIUGHAEGIUAHGUIA)
4. vagueness—because ai doesn't actually "know" what a character is feeling (spoiler; it isn't human), it often resorts to telling the reader that an expression is impossible to read, because it's easier to explain something you don't understand when you dodge the subject matter ex: "...something unreadable flickering there.(in that post i mentioned we'd talk about later... here we are)" human writers are more likely to describe a specific internal conflict or a unique facial twitch rather than calling it "unreadable" 24/7
5. overuse of select words—there are certain words that ai models gravitate toward when trying to write tension or atmosphere. now, human writers also love certain words. i, for example, am guilty of the following:
what can i say! i love saying my characters mumbled/murmured words. but there's a point where it becomes... egregious. some words that are typically overused/used out of place are:
shiver/tremble
electric
palpable
something
almost
pulse
lingered
loomed
barely
there are many more, but it's far too many to list in a tumblr post. of course, none of these immediately mean someone is using ai—these are words that human writers use, and words that i've probably used before, but you begin to notice a pattern after a while.
now, let's get into some speed-rounds because i've been doing a lot of yapping:
uncanny valley of english language/metaphors & similies that dont make sense (rain-soaked laughter, the sound itself burned, opening a door that didnt exist yet, striking the perfect pose in photography)
excessive vague praise (you embodied them / essence of what makes you, you / you gifted them to the rest of us / you give them life)
constantly restating itself or adding unneeded context (see: section 3)
generic stories. human stories typically include the author injected into the writing. (i dont have a direct example for this. here's a bit from a draft of crush that is literally stuff that reminds me of my ex-situationship)
anyways, if you've read this far, thank you for reading. once again, this post isn't to direct hate towards any blogs/works of writing in this post, and to remind you that none of these will 100% confirm ai usage, but it's simply to call out behaviour and provide what i hope is context for those who arent aware. if you're going to actively claim you don't use ai but use it (esp. so obviously), you need to get ████ ███ ███████ ███████ ███ ██████ ████ █ ███████ █████ ███████ ███ ███ ███ ████ ███ but anyways. this blog doesn't have asks on, but i'd love to hear your thoughts in tags/comments. much love yall.
(@eddieripps drew that for my presentation. much love gbt. much love)
i saw a post on twitter by a european saying americans are fake for their random compliments to strangers and their general cheery demeanor and like no. no no no you don’t understand. if you get a random compliment from an american on the street about your outfit or whatever, that is 100% genuine. we mean it. we aren’t lying we are making a small but fleeting connection with you because our lives are shitty but the human condition is enduring. oh god i’m clutching my chest
If you get a compliment from a random American on the street, know that they tried their best to keep from saying a peep to you but they literally could not hold it in. They HAD to say something.
The other day a tiny gay man in a hurry bumped me on the Metro escalator and said "Sorry, great dress by the way" and then he stopped at the top of the escalator and turned around and said "AND a great hat. THAT is how we do summer!" and SPRINTED for his bus and I coasted on that for the rest of the day.
When I first moved to Prague I had a colleague who had such great style, and I always complimented her because I thought she was hot and cool. Years later when we were friends, she told me that she always suspected me of trying to manipulate her somehow because that is not how Czechs roll, and it was really inconceivable to her that I was simply complimenting her with no ulterior motive, but that's culturally normal to me?
Also, I am married to a British person, and his mother is an artist -- she's a collograph print-maker, and she told me that whenever she wants a pick me up, she sends photos of her latest prints to me, because I can be counted upon to say something nice. What can I say? I love her work? Her prints are beautiful, so...not faking?
Americans have a lot of blind spots and issues, but saying the nice thing in their brains to other people is fine? Like? A little more kindness and connection isn't hurting anyone?
There was a post on r/askanamerican just the other day, by a guy living in Eastern Europe who has a fun backpack (it looks like a reeses cup package with a bite taken out of it!) and said he constantly got compliments on it from American tourists
And he was like...are all of you like that? You say nice things to total strangers as if you're life-long friends??
And the entire comment section was like: Yup. Absolutely. This is 100% a thing we do.
And someone looked up a picture of the backpack and shared it and we were all like OMG THAT IS AN AMAZING BACKPACK yeah if I saw someone in any city on earth wearing that thing I would in fact say something.
Sometimes posts on that subreddit are a trash fire, but we were all so happy to talk about times we've told strangers compliments or been complimented by strangers.
And genuinely, it's one of the few things that makes me proud to be American. Like. We have a reputation for telling total strangers when we like something they're wearing/doing. And we mean it, every single time!
IMPORTANT: they listened to our complaints and reverted the update. See this post.
TUMBLR'S RECENT UPDATE IS AWFUL AND WE SHOULD COMPLAIN LOUDER AGAINST IT.
Hey so, I thought maybe we should participate in a blackout day to protest against the new tumblr update.
Let's try March 19. So that people have time to see this and plan for it.
Do not log in or use tumblr for 24 hours on this day.
Reblog this and make a tag chain to maximise visbility—the more people aware of this awful update, the better.
Circle the date on your calendar, or set a reminder on your phone. As a bonus it will be a good break from social media. Spend the day doing things you like—start that book you've been waiting to read, go outside, watch a good movie... just do anything except open tumblr.
I think we should show tumblr that we are not happy with this update in every possible way we can.
File support tickets with feedback (SEE BELOW ON HOW TO SEND FEEDBACK), post about how this update makes you feel, reblog other's posts about this update, offer as detailed and honest feedback as possible to tumblr—WE DO NOT WANT THIS UPDATE!!
Remember that WE are the end consumers.
WE build their platform, WE fill it with posts, WE are the reason they generate revenue, WE are the reason this platform has power, and for these reasons WE should feel satisfied with the service they provide. ESPECIALLY if you pay for tumblr premium, you are entitled to make a complaint about the platform you are PAYING.
I used to like tumblr and I'd like to cling to it, but this update is just horrible. It makes me not want to continue posting at all. It is utterly demotovating as-is with my being mature labelled, but this update is just intolerable. I do not know how I will feel motivated to post at all in the future if this update is not rolled back.
I know I don't have much reach, especially with a label on, but I hope this reaches at least a few people.
Please participate if you care. Please reblog and tag people you know. Send every bit of feedback to tumblr that you possibly can.
I really don't want to see my once favorite site ruined beyond repair. I really want to continue enjoying this site. I have a community of people here which I have built over years, a community which I deeply love and appreciate and cherish interacting with. My blog thrives on being able to see feedback in reblogs on my post. The whole point of posting is that people see it and engage with it. This update is at best nonsensical and at worst, going to shred off many creators from the platform and rip apart any last bits of fun we have using it.
SEE BELOW for more information on the update & how to send a support ticket to give feedback.
HOW TO SEND FEEDBACK THROUGH SUPPORT TICKETS
Go to tumblr support
Select the category "feedback"
Write in formal, polite tone—try not to sound rude, but constructive and earnest about how dissatisfied you feel about the update and its effects
EXAMPLE: I am writing regarding tumblr's recent update. I am not happy with this feature and do not see myself enjoying the platform with this being implemented. Please rollback this update.
IMPORTANT LINKS
EFFECTS OF THE UPDATE
Comment your feedback on tumblr's twitter
Here is the original tumblr post stating the update change
This post by @thatlittleegyptologist explains the effects of the update
Dear tumblr please listen to our feedback and rollback this update.
So it’s just another day on tumblr when a beloved mutual suddenly DMs you (or a random stranger) claiming that someone impersonated you and has scammed them out of $900 be it art or crypto or because of content related to CP. They tell you they’ve accidentally reported you by mistake and that the only way to clear up this issue is to contact someone on discord. They even show a screenshot claiming your account was reported for fraudulent activity and action must be taken within 24hrs or else your blog will be terminated. You just need to contact the “official” report dispute discord account in a timely manner and clear everything up!
You panic! You don’t want to lose your blog so you immediately DM the discord account who begins asking you questions before ultimately asking you to change your email address to theirs so they can ‘fix’ the flag on your account. All is well, and you assume that the false report is going to be cleared up…Right?
Unfortunately no. That’s not what happens.
You get locked out of your account and now the scammer logs in as you and starts to send the same message to anyone and everyone they find. The same message that now you accidentally reported the receiver and you need them to contact the same discord account to repeat the same process over and over again and you yourself seem to have no way of accessing your blog to stop the phishing. But don’t fear! You can fix this! Just contact the real support email and let them know you’ve been hacked and give them any information they may ask to confirm your the real owner of the blog.
Here are things to keep in mind:
- There is no official report dispute discord account ran by tumblr that isn’t a thing and has never been.
- Any discord account claiming to an official tumblr report dispute staff account is a scammer.
- You do not need to ever contact Discord for a tumblr related issue no matter how official the screenshot looks.
- This scam can affect anyone, even your friends. Keep them informed and if you can contact them offsite to let them know they’ve been hacked please do so they can get their account back faster.
- Reports are handled through the official tumblr tech support line and will never be through discord. (Link is to tumblr help center)
- Support center is not: Gmail,yahoo,outlook,Microsoft teams,discord,etc.
When my cousin's then-boyfriend texted her that he would be coming home late because he would be stopping by the department store on his way home from work, she, knowing full well that he hates going there, never buys clothes there if he can help it, and generally asks to stay home whenever she goes, knew instantly that he could only be going for one reason: To buy an engagement ring.
Practical-minded, she responded: Don't forget the coupon we got in the mail, there's a discount on rings. Ever helpful, she sent him a photo of the coupon code.
He left her on read. When he came home, he was cagey and grumbling, and when she was like "Did you remember to use the coupon" he was like, "I don't know what you're talking about, why would I be buying jewelry, etc.," not meeting her eye.
Few weeks later he took her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, spent the entire night grumbling under his breath and shaking his head in disbelief, before going "아이씨" and pulling the ring box out of his pocket and slamming it down on the table. "How the hell did you know," he said, begrudgingly impressed.
She was like, "It's really not hard" and then was like "Did you use the coupon" and he was like "Yes I used the coupon"
An aquarium in Japan was closed for renovations, and their resident sunfish got depressed not seeing visitors. So the staff put some uniforms with printed faces against the tank, and it immediately recovered.
germansingergirl
kianamaiart
areudirty
andulkaphoto
romaincrisis
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
prguitarman
baratheonpilled
origamiaround
vaporwave
