Can people tell AI writing from human writing?

Most people score below 60% accuracy when trying to distinguish AI from human writing in blind tests. AI has become sophisticated enough that casual readers often can't tell the difference.

What are the main differences between AI and human writing?

AI writing tends to be more uniform in sentence length, uses more formal vocabulary, avoids personal anecdotes, and maintains consistent quality throughout. Human writing is messier, more personal, and varies in quality.

Is AI writing better than human writing?

AI writing is more consistent and grammatically correct, but lacks originality, personal voice, and genuine insight. The best content combines AI efficiency with human creativity and expertise.

AI vs Human Writing: Can You Tell the Difference? (Quiz Inside)

Think you can spot AI writing? Most people score below 60%. The line between AI and human writing is blurrier than you think — especially after humanization.

Sample A

“The coffee shop on 5th street closed last month. I used to write there every Sunday morning — something about the noise and the terrible wifi forced me to actually focus. Now I just stare at my home office wall.”

Sample B

“Remote work environments present unique challenges for maintaining productivity. Many professionals find that dedicated workspaces outside the home, such as coffee shops, can enhance focus and creative output.”

Sample A was written by Humaneer (AI + humanization). Sample B was raw ChatGPT. Most people guess wrong.

Key Differences Between AI and Human Writing

AI Writing Patterns

• Uniform sentence length
• Low perplexity (predictable word choices)
• Balanced, hedging tone
• Perfect grammar throughout
• Generic examples and metaphors

Human Writing Patterns

• Varied sentence length (burstiness)
• High perplexity (surprising word choices)
• Opinionated, personal tone
• Occasional grammar bends
• Specific, personal examples

What AI Detectors Actually Measure

Detectors don't “understand” text. They measure statistical properties:

Perplexity: How surprising is each word? AI text has low perplexity because it always picks the “expected” next word.

Burstiness: How much does sentence length vary? Humans write in bursts — short, long, medium. AI keeps things even.

Vocabulary distribution: Which words appear and how often? AI favors certain “safe” words and avoids others.

Learn more in our technical breakdown of AI detectors.

Closing the Gap

Humaneer bridges the gap between AI and human writing by adjusting perplexity, burstiness, and vocabulary distribution to match human patterns. The result is text that reads naturally and passes every major AI detector.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can humans reliably detect AI writing?

Studies show humans correctly identify AI text about 50-60% of the time — barely better than a coin flip. Trained editors do slightly better at ~70%.

Will AI writing eventually be indistinguishable from human writing?

It's trending that way. Each new model produces more natural text. Read our analysis on the future of AI detection.

AI vs Human Writing: Can You Tell?