AI-assisted academic writing: smoother on the surface, harder to read underneath
AI makes it easy for non-native speakers to produce polished English at the click of a button. But a recent preprint suggests readability hasn't improved since tools like ChatGPT showed up.
"What we find is that language got more complex when using AI and this is not necessarily good, because it's unnecessary complexity," said co-author Thomas Walther, a finance professor at the Utrecht School of Economics. Before generative AI, top finance journals actually had the lowest language complexity-proof that clarity outperforms ornament.
Why "polished" can read worse
AI tends to prefer fancy synonyms, stacked clauses, and abstract nouns. It looks professional on first glance, but it slows readers down.
Complexity is not quality. It's friction. If your work is harder to parse, your ideas don't land.
What this means for working writers
- Define your reading level upfront: Specify "clear, professional, 8th-10th grade readability." High signal, low cognitive load.
- Constrain your AI: Tell it to avoid nominalizations, keep sentences under 18-20 words, and prefer strong verbs over adjectives.
- Measure, don't guess: Run a readability pass (Flesch-Kincaid, sentence length, passive voice). Cut until the numbers support the goal.
- Edit for compression: Remove throat-clearing, redundant transitions, and filler phrases. Keep one idea per sentence.
A simple workflow that keeps AI on a short leash
- Outline in plain language: bullet points, claims, proof, takeaway.
- Draft with constraints: Ask AI for a short draft that follows your outline and readability rules.
- Score it: Check sentence length, passive voice, jargon density.
- Simplify pass: Cut abstract nouns, split long sentences, swap in concrete verbs.
- Voice pass: Read aloud. If you stumble, revise.
- Peer pass: One colleague unfamiliar with the topic should understand it on first read.
Prompts that reduce complexity
- Clarity preset: "Rewrite for clarity. Max 18 words per sentence. Prefer present tense. Use concrete verbs. Avoid nominalizations and filler (e.g., however, moreover, consequently). Keep transitions minimal."
- Jargon control: "Replace field-specific jargon with plain equivalents unless essential. If a term is essential, define it in 10 words or fewer."
- Compression: "Cut 20% of words without losing meaning. Remove redundant clauses. One idea per sentence."
- Readability check: "Report average sentence length, passive voice %, and list 5 sentences to simplify."
For editors and journals
- Publish a short style card: sentence length targets, banned filler, voice/tone examples.
- Require a readability check with submissions and flag overuse of passive voice and nominalizations.
- Ask for AI-use disclosures and the exact constraints applied. Reward clarity in reviews.
For non-native writers
- Write the idea in your words first. Then let AI tidy, not invent.
- Cap sentence length. Short sentences > long clauses stitched with commas.
- Create a micro-glossary: your approved terms and simple definitions. Stick to it for consistency.
- Back-translation trick: Translate to your native language, then back to English. Fix meaning drift.
- Keep idioms rare: They confuse readers and models. Prefer direct phrasing.
Useful references
- PlainLanguage.gov guidelines for clarity rules that scale across formats.
- Purdue OWL on concision to practice cutting without losing meaning.
Train your AI use, not just your AI
AI can support your work, but only if you control for readability. Constraints, measurement, and human judgment win every time.
Clarity beats complexity. Every sentence earns its keep-or it goes.
Resources for writers
- AI tools for copywriting to test workflows that prioritize clarity.
- Courses by job to sharpen practical AI skills for writers and editors.
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