AI-generated content was designed to assist humans, not to be human. The technology continues to develop at a staggering speed, but without human intervention, AI-written content can lack creativity and the ability to connect with readers in the way people can.
In the movies, AI is often depicted as controlling humankind, but in the case of editing, the human touch reigns supreme. Here are our 6 tips for editing AI-written content!
1. Check for Coherence
One of the downsides of AI content creation tools is that they can’t interpret context. Editing is vital, including reading the text thoroughly to ensure that it flows logically, and the intended ideas and purpose are clear.
It’s best practice to read through the entire piece before making any edits. After a read-through, you’ll have a better idea of the tone, purpose, and overall quality. One of the downsides of AI-created content is that it doesn’t usually progress logically. To edit the content, you’ll need to make sense of it.
Here are some specifics where AI programs tend to miss the mark when it comes to coherence and flow:
- Gaps in the content
- Awkward transitions
- Context miscues
- Readability issues
- Misinterpretations
Treat AI-generated content as a first draft or an outline. The piece may jump from one idea to another without appropriate transitions, making it difficult to follow. AI tools can’t understand the nuances of the topic and will leave out key information for understanding the topic.
Often, AI-generated content is structured like a traditional high school essay. Careful proofreading and editing is needed to restructure the piece and get your message across clearly and concisely.
2. Review for Accuracy
AI language models are designed to mimic human language, but they may not understand the context or purpose of the content. This will leave you with content that could be inaccurate, inappropriate, or irrelevant.
Be sure to double-check the following:
- Names
- Statistics
- Dates
- Facts
- Figures
- Quotes
- References
If something seems off or out of place, try to locate the source of the material. Don’t leave it in your final draft if you can’t validate it. AI programs can’t decipher between theories, facts, or misleading information.
3. Tailor to Your Target Audience
Every edit you make to AI-generated content should be with your target audience in mind. Context, tone, style, and even the length of the piece will differ across unique audiences. The AI-written text might be jargon-heavy or too technical, and you’ll need to make sure it doesn’t read like a textbook or instruction manual.
If it’s necessary to use jargon or technical terms, make sure you explain them clearly. This also goes for acronyms and initialisms. One of the quickest ways to lose a reader is by confusing them.
If you’re editing AI-generated content at scale, make sure you use a style guide. A style guide outlines the nuances of how and what to edit, and it also gives specific advice tailored to the topics you’re covering. It will help keep your content consistent and directed toward your target audience.
Add a hook to get your target audience involved from the beginning. AI-created content rarely adds attention-grabbing openings. Hooks should be thought-provoking, intriguing, and relevant. Some of the most effective hooks are anecdotes, questions, shocking facts or statistics, and personal experiences.
4. Remove Errors and Redundancies
CNET discovered errors in 41 out of the 77 stories written by AI that the outlet published – that’s more than half. Therefore, every piece of AI-generated content needs proofreading, without exception. Your brand’s reputation hangs in the balance.
Some of the most common errors found in AI-generated content are:
- Subject–verb agreement
- Misspellings (including homophones)
- Missing commas
- Unclear or nonsensical phrases
- Disjointed sentences and paragraphs
These errors mirror some of the same mistakes that are common among human writers.
A keen eye is necessary to catch these mistakes, and trained proofreaders will be able to catch most, if not all, of the errors in these articles. Don’t let the quality of your content suffer. Here’s an article to help you build a content quality assurance process.
5. Add a Human Touch
Human intervention can take dull AI-written content and transform it into quality work that connects with your audience. AI programs can’t replicate a human’s emotional intelligence or ability to empathize with others. Without empathy, it’s difficult to connect with your readers on a deeper level.
So, how do you infuse empathy into AI-generated content?
- Use storytelling techniques.
- Address the reader directly with second-person pronouns like “you” and “your.”
- Use emotional language that incorporates feelings instead of just facts and statistics.
- Acknowledge the challenges and struggles your audience faces.
Be creative. By avoiding cliched and overused phrases, you’re inviting the reader to experience a new way of looking at things. AI-generated content is typically generated by algorithms and pre-programmed data. Your audience craves originality. Use personal stories or examples to relate.
6. Optimize for Search Engines (SEO)
There’s no use in having AI create content if no one ever reads it. That’s why ensuring that the content is optimized for search engines is imperative.
Strategically placing keywords in the title, headlines, and body of the content will help search engines. Also, creating headings and using header tags makes it easier for the audience and search engines to read the piece.
One of the most important ways to supercharge SEO for AI-generated content is to publish consistent, high-quality content that’s well-written, engaging, and informative. Use the E-A-T principle to write exceptional content and boost SEO.
Final Thoughts
Right now, 52% of business leaders are already using AI content generation tools for content marketing. This will only increase as time goes on and the programs become more advanced. Highly skilled editors are needed to polish the rough content into pieces that are informative, well-written, and optimized for search engines.
If you need a team of professional proofreaders and editors to assist you in polishing your content creation process, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies and startups.
Schedule a call with our team today to find out how we can help you scale your content. Alternatively, if you feel ready to give your AI-generated content a human touch, you can check out our AI-generated content editing services.
