ChatGPT isn’t Human (How to Actually Write Using AI Tools)

ChatGPT’s popularity skyrocketed, with 393 million monthly visitors and 100 million weekly users. Many people treat it like a human, asking for help with math, history, coding, and even creative tasks.

The AI’s responses often seem eerily human-like, making users forget they’re interacting with a machine. However, ChatGPT admits it doesn’t think like a human, relying on data patterns rather than true comprehension.

Despite its widespread use, many struggle to harness AI’s full potential. They overlook its limitations and misunderstand its capabilities, potentially leading to errors or missed opportunities.

As AI advances, concerns about job displacement and societal impact grow. Users need to recognize AI’s true nature and learn how to leverage it effectively.

What’s Wrong with AI Entirely?

AI systems like ChatGPT might seem intelligent, but these systems don’t actually think like humans. Anthony Chemero, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, explains that their intelligence is fundamentally different.

Large Language Models (LLMs) generate text by predicting the most likely next word in a sentence. They don’t understand meaning or context. Chemero points out that while these systems can produce impressive results, they often fabricate information entirely.

Developers call this “hallucinating,” but Chemero argues it’s more like “bullsh*tting.” LLMs don’t know or care if their output is accurate. They lack the human trait of being embodied — living beings who interact with their surroundings and care about survival.

Physical, social, and cultural environments shape humans. The connection drives us to care about truth and consequences. LLMs operate without these influences, making them indifferent to the world or its outcomes.

Chemero emphasizes that AI doesn’t share human motivations or commitments. It doesn’t care about survival or the environment. While humans value meaning and purpose, AI processes data without understanding or concern.

Current Writing Limitations of ChatGPT

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT might seem like a quick fix for content creation. They promise efficiency and speed, tempting busy professionals to rely on them for various writing tasks. However, the output often falls short of human-written content in quality and depth.

AI-generated text frequently lacks the nuance, context, and logical structure human writers naturally provide. Understanding these limitations helps users make informed decisions about when and how to use AI writing tools effectively.

Let’s explore five key limitations of ChatGPT and similar AI systems in content creation:

1. Excessive Use of the Same Words

ChatGPT often produces content that lacks specific context, resulting in vague and generic writing. Human writers form meaning before putting words on the page, considering their overall content goals.

AI-generated text frequently relies on broad, ambiguous language to maintain flexibility across various interpretations. Here are some common words and phrases that indicate a lack of specific context:

• World
• Landscape
• Realm
• Picture this
• Imagine
• Explore
• Discover
• Navigate
• Embark

These terms often appear in AI writing, failing to provide concrete details or vivid imagery. They create a disconnection from real-world experiences and fail to engage readers effectively.

2. Repetitive Writing

AI writing models struggle to avoid redundancy in their content. Large language models often restate the same ideas using slightly different words, creating a circular pattern in their writing.

OpenAI acknowledges their models’ tendency toward verbosity. When reviewing content, watch for unnecessary repetition of words, phrases, or sentence structures that human writers would naturally vary.

The model is often excessively verbose and overuses certain phrases, such as restating that it’s a language model trained by OpenAI. These issues arise from biases in the training data (trainers prefer longer answers that look more comprehensive) and well-known over-optimization issues.
- OpenAI

Repetitive sentence structures serve as a clear marker of AI-generated text. Look for patterns like sentences starting with “-ing” forms or overusing qualifiers before nouns. AI tends to stick to safe, predictable sentence formats rather than varying its expression naturally.

The image shows how AI writing tools focus on repeating similar points about “streamlining the process” and “improving quality” across multiple paragraphs. Each section restates ideas about enhancing content and optimizing work, showing how AI struggles to introduce new information or perspectives.

3. Monotonous Tone of Voice

AI writing maintains a rigid, formal tone that lacks human warmth.

Looking at the Bruno Mars example, the AI response reads like a technical review, using phrases like “emotional expressiveness” and “powerful belting” instead of natural language.

A human writer would say something like “Bruno Mars can sing his heart out” or “he brings the house down at every show.” Real writers naturally incorporate casual expressions and relatable language that connect with readers.

AI responses stick to a predictable pattern of formal descriptions and technical terms. Notice how the language stays consistently stiff, missing the natural flow and personality human writers bring to their work.

Where humans sprinkle in humor, pop culture references, and colloquialisms, AI writing remains trapped in its formal structure. Real writers vary their tone, creating an authentic voice that engages readers through shared experiences and natural expression.

How to Actually Use AI

I’m not dismissing AI—it’s a tool we need to harness, not avoid. AI shines when brainstorming topics, particularly in industries outside my expertise. Writers struggling with starting their content find AI helpful as a springboard.

LinkedIn feeds overflow with robotic content nowadays. Many companies choose quick AI-generated posts over authentic writing, leading to predictable, lifeless content that readers scroll past without a glance.

Here’s my approach to leveraging AI effectively:

• Read AI content like a new book — when your attention wanders, rewrite until it grabs your interest.
• Use AI to generate ideas and create lists, but never for introductions or conclusions.
• Run AI content through plagiarism checkers to verify originality and add proper citations.
• Conduct original research instead of relying on AI-generated facts.

AI works as your writing assistant, not your replacement. Let it refine your ideas while maintaining your unique voice. Grammar perfection means nothing without engaging content that makes readers stop scrolling.

Remember — AI enhances your writing process but shouldn’t take over the creative aspects that make your content uniquely yours.

Need Help With Your Writing?

AI tools might seem capable of writing human-like content, yet recent tests prove LLMs still fall behind skilled writers in creativity and authenticity. Manual review combined with detection tools helps maintain high-quality content standards.

Ready to elevate your writing? We offer personalized guidance to optimize your articles. Contact us now to transform your content from good to outstanding.