We’re living in a brave new world. AI blogging isn’t just knocking on the door; it’s kicking it down. With AI text generators gaining traction, so is the concept of humanizing AI content.

People want the AI-generated text to sound like something a skilled writer would write on a caffeine-fueled creative rush. (Coffee-induced creativity level: maximum. Sanity level: questionable.)

Inevitably, when there’s demand, there’s supply. So the market is flooded with writing tools that promise to magically turn your AI-written content into human-written content. All you have to do is run the machine-spun text through their machines, aka AI paraphrasers. (As logical as hiring a fish to give flying lessons.)

And companies selling AI content detectors are peddling the theory that Google will penalize your content if it doesn’t pass their “AI sniff test.” But if your content receives a good grade on their tool, it’ll be considered human and not face any consequences.

Quick side note on AI content detection: Google has recently clarified that AI content can rank on Google as long as it follows the guidelines. Plus, AI detection is notoriously unreliable, so there’s really no need to use a content detector in your blogging workflow.

Finally, some content creators recommend adding personal stories and experiences to AI-written content to make it more human. While this approach has merit, it’s just part of the solution.

Our efforts are misplaced with all these approaches. They’re classic examples of the ‘can’t see the forest for the trees,’ problem as we’re prioritizing minor details while losing sight of the overall strategy.

So, what’s the solution?

A brand-centric content strategy coupled with meticulous content-level editing. Let’s break this down into smaller steps.

How to humanize AI content?

Step 1: Reframe the discussion to focus on brand-level clarity

It’s easy to get caught up in the mainstream narrative of trying to humanize AI-generated text. Let’s switch gears for a second and shift the conversation to clarifying the brand instead of focusing on individual content pieces. Content is an extension of your brand. So unless you’re planning at the brand level, you can’t be consistent at the content level.

You need a brand-centric content strategy to humanize AI text:

Your brand narrative: The overall brand outlook that guides your content strategy and shapes individual content pieces.
The brand mechanics: word choice, tone, and style, which infuses your brand personality into your content.
Your brand stance: the belief or practice your brand stands for and opposes, which gives your content an emotional resonance.
Brand positioning: Brand positioning is the unique space a brand occupies in the minds of consumers, differentiating itself from competitors. Content plays a crucial role in reinforcing brand positioning by consistently delivering messages that highlight the brand’s distinctive features and benefits, establishing a company’s position in the market.

If you’re clear on these pillars, all your assets —including AI-generated content—will fall in line. That’s the beauty of brand-centric content strategy; it’s like a roadmap that guides your content creation process.

The key to humanizing AI content is to focus on brand-level decisions, not individual content pieces.
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When your brand is at the core of your AI writing, your narrative, voice, and stance will match, and every piece of content will be cohesive. Clarity of your brand improves your writing — AI or otherwise. It creates a consistent experience for readers. They’ll get a sense of who you are just by your narrative, voice, and stance. Now that you have brand-level clarity. The next step is content-level execution.

Step 2: Content level ‘humanizing.’

After you’ve done the first step, the second becomes easier. All you have to do is document it as a brand guide. The brand guide explains your brand strategy to human writers. And if you’re using AI assistants, well-crafted AI prompts based on the brand guide can help you write more effectively. Here are some practical tips for converting AI to human text.

Craft compelling narratives aligned with your purpose:

Whether you’re writing a blog post or an internal newsletter, knowing your overall brand narrative makes it easy to find the right narrative for your piece. Call out why this cause or topic is close to your heart and how it aligns with your brand’s core values.

Let’s say you run an eco-friendly clothing brand. Your ethos is sustainability and conscious consumerism. Suppose you’re writing a piece on the harmful impact of fast fashion on the environment — your narrative can tie in with your brand’s mission. You can talk about how fast fashion is causing a social and environmental crisis with its rapid mass production of stylish, inexpensive clothes. This narrative underscores your brand’s commitment to sustainable fashion and can be a powerful way to communicate your message.

Take bold stances with conviction:

Know where your brand stands on various issues. Standing up for a cause with confidence will make your brand stronger. Put your point of view into your AI prompts so the AI-generated content reflects your values.

Be very mindful and strategic when picking your battles because the choices you make will define your brand. When you pick a side, you’re repelling one group and attracting another. You risk alienating current customers and attracting the wrong ones if you choose the wrong one. Here are a few ways to approach this.

Advocate for a cause: Choose a social, environmental, or ethical issue that aligns with your brand’s values and take a firm stance on it. Clearly communicate your beliefs, share relevant information, and inspire action.

Real-world example: Patagonia has always been a vocal advocate for environmental conservation and corporate responsibility.

You can also do the same. If you’re a make-up brand, you could rally against animal testing, toxic ingredients, and plastic waste. A fashion brand could advocate for sustainable materials, ethically sourced materials, fair labor practices, and waste reduction.

Challenge industry norms: Identify conventional practices or beliefs within your industry that need to be questioned or improved. Present an alternative perspective and explain why your approach is more effective or beneficial.

Real-world example: Traditionally, publishing houses played the gatekeeper role in the publishing industry. With self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Google Books, or Smashwords, authors can directly publish their work without going through traditional publishers. This democratizes the process. Hugh Howey’s “Wool” series is an example. The book was self-published at first but was so successful that Howey got traditional publishing deals.

You can also do the same. For a content marketing company, it could be: “In a world where people are jaded by generic SEO content and bland AI content, we challenge the status quo. We create content that influences culture, makes people think, and inspires them to be better. We do this by looking beyond the obvious, prioritizing quality over quantity, and tackling difficult topics. When everyone automates and focuses on mass-produced content, we deliberately slow down, create personalized experiences, and engineer meaningful interactions.

Address controversial topics: Tackle sensitive or controversial subjects relevant to your industry or target audience. Express your viewpoint clearly, supported by well-researched facts and logical arguments. Encourage constructive dialogue and invite others to share their perspectives.

Real-world example: Nike’s controversial “Dream Crazy” ad campaign is an example of this. Nike featured Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who knelt during the national anthem as a peaceful protest against racial injustice in the United States. The ad’s slogan: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it.” echoed Kaepernick’s own journey. This choice was not without controversy, but it demonstrated Nike’s commitment to standing up for its beliefs. The campaign sparked intense discussions globally about racial inequality and police brutality. While this move led to some backlash and calls for boycotting the company, Nike’s sales increased significantly after the campaign launched. It showed that many consumers appreciated Nike’s willingness to take a stance on societal issues.

You can also do the same. A healthcare company could address the high cost of life-saving medicines. A tech company could champion a more ethical and responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Infuse your unique brand voice:

Express yourself in a way that is unmistakably you. Many people think brand voice is just adding random adjectives like “professional” or “upbeat” to your AI content writer. It’s so much more than that. But the easiest way is to visualize your brand as a person and then describe how that person would sound in real life. How would this person communicate in different situations? The answer to that question is your brand voice. Once you have your brand voice, here are some ways to replicate it using content generators.

Train the AI model: If you’re working with an AI writer like Jasper AI or Copy AI, you can train it on your content. By feeding artificial intelligence samples of your previous work, you’re teaching it to mimic your style. The AI writing tool uses natural language processing to understand your tone, sentence structure, language, and recurring themes. It then uses natural language generation to create high-quality content in your unique style.
For instance, if your brand has a playful and humorous tone in its content, you can train the AI model on your previous blog posts or articles with a similar tone. The AI will use the training data as a reference to create content that sounds like you.
Use detailed prompts: Use AI prompts when using content generators like ChatGPT to write content. More specific and detailed prompts you provide, the more likely the output aligns with your brand voice.
For instance, instead of a generic prompt like “Write a blog post about sustainable fashion,” provide detailed instructions that convey your brand’s unique perspective and style.
An example prompt would be: “As a fashion blogger, your task is to write a comprehensive blog post about sustainable fashion. Begin by researching the topic and identifying key issues such as textile waste, labor exploitation, and water pollution. Use an emotional tone as you discuss the importance of sustainable fashion. Finish by giving the reader practical tips for making sustainable fashion choices. Make sure it conveys our commitment to fighting fast fashion.”
Incorporate your brand’s tone and style: What is your defined brand tone and style? Is it professional, friendly, authoritative, conversational, or something else? Now work that into your brand copy.
For instance, if your brand is known for being authoritative and professional in the industry, ensure that the AI-generated content reflects that by using formal language, providing in-depth analysis, and citing credible sources.
Use brand-specific vocabulary: Every brand has its own set of terms, jargon, or unique vocabulary that reflects its industry and personality. Integrate these specific words or phrases into your AI-generated content to give it your distinct voice.
For example, if your brand is in the tech industry and wants to be perceived as an innovative leader, you might choose terms like “cutting-edge,” “disruptive technology,” or “revolutionary solutions” when describing your new product. Maybe you want to go the other way and want to be seen as more human and relatable — in that case, you’d do well to avoid these jargons like the plague.

Whatever your brand strategy is, consistency is key when infusing your brand voice into AI-generated content. Continuously provide feedback, review the output, and refine the prompts or training data to ensure the AI models understand and replicate your brand’s voice accurately.

Weave stories into your content:

Weaving personal stories into your content is a powerful way to humanize AI-generated content. It adds a layer of authenticity and relatability that helps you connect with readers. Here are some examples of how personal stories can be incorporated into AI-generated content:

Your journey: Share the ups and downs of starting a business or pursuing your career path. Talk about the obstacles you faced, personal experiences, breakthrough moments, and the valuable lessons you learned along the way.
Testimonials: Testimonials are bite-sized transformation stories. Share testimonials from satisfied customers or clients talking about how your product or service changed their lives for the better. Here’s a testimonial template to guide your customers: Highlight the specific problem or challenge [your customer] faced before using your product or service. Then, describe how [your brand’s offering] provided a solution and transformed their experience. Include details about the benefits [your customer] received and any tangible results they achieved. Finally, encourage them to share their overall satisfaction and recommend your product or service to others.”
Case Studies: Case studies also tell transformation stories, usually longer and written by a brand instead of the customer. The longer format gives you more flexibility to include more details that illustrate how your product or service has helped solve a specific problem or addressed a particular need. Here’s a helpful resource from Hubspot on writing effective case studies.
Behind-the-scenes stories: Offer glimpses into the people and processes behind your brand or organization. Share stories about the founders, employees, or team members who are passionate about what they do and how they contribute to delivering exceptional products or services. This adds a human touch and builds trust with your audience.
Adobe is an example of this. They have a series called “Adobe Life,” where they showcase the people behind their products and give a behind-the-scenes look at their offices and culture. It features interviews with employees, glimpses into their daily routines, and highlights the company’s values and vision. Adobe uses this series to engage with its customers and provide transparency and authenticity to its brand.
Brand story: Incorporate personal anecdotes or your brand story into your content. These stories can entertain and create an emotional connection with your readers. They show that there are real people behind the content and make it more relatable. It’s also a great opportunity to show your expertise and how you’re filling a gap in the market. An example is the running shoe brand Hoka. Hoka began when Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard were looking for ways to improve their own running performance. They wanted to create a shoe that would provide extra cushioning and support without compromising on weight or agility. Inspired by their experiences running on the rugged trails of the French Alps, they developed a prototype with an oversized midsole. The innovative design offers maximum shock absorption while maintaining a lightweight feel.

By incorporating personal stories like these, AI-generated content can become more engaging, relatable, and humanized, creating a deeper connection with your audience.

Sharing your earned experiences is a very effective way to humanize AI-generated content. By incorporating personal insights and wisdom, you bring a unique perspective. It builds credibility and trust. Here are some examples for inspiration:

Personal growth: Discuss personal challenges you’ve faced and lessons learned. For instance, you can share how you struggled with time management and eventually discovered effective strategies to improve productivity without sacrificing your personal life.
Epiphanies: Sharing your epiphanies can be an impactful way to connect with your audience on a personal level. It provides a window into your thought processes, growth, and transformation. Epiphanies are often born from challenges or pivotal moments in our lives that shape who we are and what we believe in. By sharing these powerful moments of realization, you’re inviting your audience into your world, making them feel involved and invested in your journey. This raw honesty can resonate profoundly with your audience, fostering deeper connection and engagement.
Lessons from your mistakes: Reflect on the mistakes you’ve made and the insights gained from them. Many entrepreneurs shy away from sharing mistakes because they’re afraid it might portray them as weak. I think it’s the opposite. Sharing your failures makes you relatable and inspires others.
Professional expertise: Share your insights and practical tips if you’re an expert in a particular field. Sharing your expertise can help establish you as an authority in your field and open up new opportunities for you.
Overcoming challenges: Talk about challenges you’ve faced in different areas of your life, like relationships, health, or work, and how you navigated these challenges. No AI-generated piece will know your life, so the minute you talk about these intimate details, your content becomes human and personal.

There you have it, the key to humanizing AI-generated content. Try applying some of these tips to your own content and see the difference for yourself.

Vivek Mathew
(aka The Mindful Marketer, aka the guy who rocks a pink shirt 😄)

I’m a content consultant who helps small businesses become iconic brands by clarifying their brand message and creating strategic content. I’ve worked with brands like EY, Natwest, and some early-stage startups like Vivartah.

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