AI-heavy email copy is costing marketers attention - and deliverability
Over 6.7 billion AI-generated emails go out every day. That volume leaves a clear pattern, and inboxes are picking it up.
Linkee reports that roughly 70% of partnership outreach is now AI-written. Their system flags common tells that push messages to spam or make readers glaze over. If email drives your pipeline, this is a fix-now problem.
The three phrases that give you away
1) Overly formal greetings (42% more common in AI)
"Dear Sir or Madam" and "I hope this message finds you well" read like templates, not intent. They waste the first three seconds of attention - the only window you're guaranteed.
- Weak: "Dear Sir or Madam, I hope this message finds you well."
- Stronger: "Hi Sara - quick note on lowering CPC on your Q1 retargeting."
2) Transition-word overload
AI leans on "moreover," "furthermore," and "additionally" to glue ideas together. Humans don't write like that in short emails. Excess transitions read as filler and trigger the "generated" radar.
- Cut these: "moreover," "therefore," "additionally," "hence," "furthermore."
- Let structure do the work: one idea per sentence; new line for a new point.
3) Scripted supportive language (used 287% more than humans)
"Kindly let me know" and "don't hesitate to reach out" sound polite but hollow. They feel like autopilot, not intent. Swap them for a clear next step.
- Weak: "Don't hesitate to reach out if interested."
- Stronger: "Can you reply 'yes' if a 10-minute teardown this week is helpful?"
Use AI. Keep your voice.
"If you want to save time writing emails with artificial intelligence, the better approach is feeding ChatGPT or whatever tool you're using your own emails and writing samples," says Maria Harutyunyan, co-founder and head of SEO at Loopex Digital. "That way, AI won't fall back on generic phrasing." Her rule: never send without a human edit. The tool drafts; you decide.
A simple system for AI-assisted outreach that gets replies
- Lead with context: name + reason. "Jared - saw your paid social mix skews 70% Meta. Two gaps."
- State the value in one line. What outcome, how fast, what proof.
- Cut filler. Delete formal openers, supportive clichés, and excess transitions.
- Show relevance. One specific reference (post, metric, feature, campaign).
- Make a single, easy ask. "Worth a 7-minute Loom?" or "Want the benchmark sheet?"
- Impose limits. 80-120 words, max 3 sentences per paragraph, 1 link.
- Edit with a blacklist: hope this finds you well; kindly; don't hesitate; moreover; furthermore; additionally.
- Train the model. Paste 5-10 of your best emails; instruct "match tone, avoid formalities and transitions listed above."
- Track and prune. If a phrase drags reply rates for two sends, retire it.
Before you hit send: quick checklist
- Subject = specific outcome or trigger, not a slogan. "Cut CAC on non-brand search (3 ideas)."
- Line 1 proves it's not mass-blast. One personal detail or metric.
- No formal opener. No scripted sign-off. Human tone throughout.
- One call to action. One link, if any.
- Reads out loud without tripping. If you wouldn't say it, don't send it.
Example rewrite
- AI-ish: "Dear Sir or Madam, I hope this message finds you well. Moreover, I wanted to additionally follow up regarding a potential partnership that could be mutually beneficial. Kindly let me know your availability."
- Human: "Maya - noticed your demo-to-paid drop-off spikes on mobile. I can share the 3 UX tweaks that lifted ours 18% in 14 days. Want a 7-minute Loom?"
Deliverability still sets the ceiling
Good copy can't save bad sending practices. Follow Gmail's bulk sender rules on authentication, spam rates, and unsubscribes.
Build the skill, then let the tools speed you up
Email still wins in B2B if it feels human and respects time. Train your model on your tone, and keep editing like a pro.
If you're leveling up your workflow with AI, these resources can help:
Bottom line
Lose the formalities, cut the transitions, and skip the scripted support lines. Lead with relevance and a clear next step. Your replies - and your inbox placement - will thank you.
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