Can AI Write Like a Human?

ChatGPT is an amazing AI chatbot that I could spend hours playing with – in fact, that’s exactly what I did today.

In my last post, I talked about detecting AI-generated text (fun fact, that entire post was written by AI), but now I want to explore what happens when you ask ChatGPT to sound more like a human.

In a way, I’m asking AI to output text that is less detectable as AI-generated content.

To start, I asked CHatGPT to write 50 words about my favorite drink; coffee:

Drinking coffee brings joy to many people around the world. It’s a delicious, stimulating beverage that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Whether you like it black or with milk, cream, and sweeteners, there’s a coffee out there for everyone. The rich, bold flavors and aromas of coffee can bring a sense of comfort and relaxation. Plus, it’s a great social drink and can be enjoyed with friends and loved ones in coffee shops and cafes. Whether you need a pick-me-up in the morning or a relaxing break in the afternoon, coffee is there to brighten your day.

First Revision

Here’s the same paragraph after asking ChatGPT to revise this paragraph to have more of a human tone:

Drinking coffee is a joy for many people around the world. It’s a delicious and stimulating drink that comes in a ton of different flavors and styles. You can have it black or with milk, cream, and sweeteners – there’s something for everyone. The rich, bold flavors and aromas of coffee can bring comfort and relaxation. It’s also a great social drink – perfect for enjoying with friends and loved ones in coffee shops and cafes. Whether you need a pick-me-up in the morning or a relaxing break in the afternoon, coffee is always there to brighten your day.

The changes between the first and revised paragraph are subtle but when you compare the two with each other, it’s interesting to see what the AI has done to be “human”:

• Change of words: “Beverage” becomes “drink”
• Change in grammar: “-” in place of “,”
• Change in sentence length: “coffee can bring a sense of comfort and relaxation.”
• Adds extra words like “always” and “also”

Second Revision

I want to see how far I could go with asking this AI chatbot to write the paragraph more and more like a human would sound.

I wasn’t sure if this would be a replay of that children’s game called Telephone where I’d eventually end up with a sentence that is completely different from the original, however, here’s the second revision it made to the original paragraph:

There’s just something special about a good cup of coffee. Whether you’re sipping it alone or enjoying it with friends, it brings a sense of comfort and joy. The rich flavors and aromas are just so satisfying, and it’s the perfect pick-me-up on a busy day. Plus, there are so many different styles and flavors to choose from – black, with milk, with cream, with sweeteners – you name it! And let’s not forget about all the cozy coffee shops and cafes where you can sit and chat with loved ones. There’s nothing quite like a steaming cup of coffee to brighten your day.

This newly generated paragraph is much different from the previous two:

• Completely different intro
• All sentences have changed order
• More casual wording like “are just so satisfying”
• More descriptive words “cozy coffee shop” and “steaming cup of coffee”

Final Revision

I could do this forever but here’s the third and final revision after asking ChatGPT to rephrase the same paragraph but more like a person wrote it:

There’s nothing quite like a warm cup of coffee to start your day off right. The rich flavors and aromas are just so comforting and satisfying. Plus, with all the different styles and flavors out there – black, with milk, with cream, with sweeteners – there’s something for everyone. And let’s not forget about all the cozy coffee shops and cafes where you can sit and chat with friends and loved ones. Whether you’re in need of a pick-me-up or just want to relax and unwind, a cup of coffee is the perfect way to do it. So go ahead and pour yourself a steaming cup – you deserve it!

While there may still be limitations to the ability of AI to fully replicate human language and expression, the improvements seen from start to finish of this post demonstrate that it is possible for AI to produce writing that sounds more like it’s from a human.

The question I now have is: would AI-generated text detection be able to pick up whether the final paragraph was written by AI