Five prompts that make AI drafts sound less like AI

You can usually spot an AI draft by the second sentence. It's tidy, a bit grand, and strangely careful not to say anything. The good news is that most of that comes from how we ask.

1. Say who it's for

"Explain this to a friend who's smart but new to the topic" gets a very different answer than "explain this." Naming the reader sets the vocabulary and the length.

2. Give it a sample of your own writing

Paste a paragraph you wrote and say "match this voice." Even one real paragraph beats ten adjectives like "friendly" or "professional."

3. Ask for plain words and short sentences

Tell it to avoid buzzwords and to prefer short, concrete sentences. It sounds almost too simple, but it removes most of the stiffness.

4. Ban the usual suspects

Add a line such as: "Don't use phrases like 'in today's fast-paced world' or 'game-changer'." Naming what you don't want works better than hoping it avoids it.

5. Edit like a human, then ask for one more pass

Treat the first draft as a rough cut. Change a few words, add a detail only you know, then ask the assistant to tidy the whole thing without changing your edits. The personal detail is what makes it sound like a person.

Not sure how to phrase your request? The Prompt Improver turns a vague idea into a structured prompt with a role, context and format.