AI Polish vs. Authentic Voice: A Field Guide for Writers
AI can make weak writing look expensive. The surface shines, the meaning blurs, and readers walk away impressed but unclear on the point.
That's the trap: polish without signal. As writers, our job is clarity, not fireworks.
What sparked this
A local political candidate sounded average on the mic but brilliant on the page. The gap wasn't talent. It was software.
That same pattern showed up across business docs: plans, letters, and reports so ornate that no one could say what they actually meant. Yet people nodded along because big words read like authority.
The tell: how AI-polished writing reads
- Fancy language, fuzzy outcome. You finish the piece and can't state the core idea in one sentence.
- Tone mismatch. The person's writing sounds like a luxury brochure; their speech sounds like a drive-thru order.
- Inconsistent voice across posts, emails, and comments. The "writer" drops quality the moment they go off-script.
If you want a quick check, ask them to explain the piece aloud in plain words. Or hand them a pen and have them summarize it right now. No prompts, no tools, no time to prep.
Why this matters for writers
Readers use writing quality as a proxy for credibility. That used to reward clean, direct prose.
Now it can reward gloss. The risk: trust erodes, and the people who win attention are the ones who look smart, not the ones who are clear and honest.
Write for signal, then add style
- Lead with a point. One sentence: "This piece argues X for Y because Z." If you can't do that, you don't have a piece yet.
- Use short sentences and concrete nouns. Cut filler, hedge words, and buzzwords.
- Read it out loud. If you wouldn't say it, don't write it.
- Prefer verbs over adjectives. Strong verbs make arguments move.
- Edit for clarity, not flair. Trade three fancy words for one precise one.
Plain language isn't dumbing down. It's respect for the reader's time. If you need a reference, study the Plain Language Guidelines and NN/g's take on clarity in UX writing (Plain Language).
A simple workflow that keeps your voice intact
- Draft ugly and fast. Get the argument down without fixing it.
- Score every paragraph: What claim is this proving? If none, cut it.
- Rewrite the opener after the draft. Make it earn the click.
- Run a "friend test": Could a smart friend repeat your point after one read?
- Final pass: replace abstraction with example, and theory with outcome.
Using AI without losing your name on the work
If you use AI, use it as a thinking partner, not a ghostwriter. Outlines, research pointers, counterarguments-fine. Voice and final phrasing-yours.
- Disclose when AI touched the draft, if it did.
- Never ship text you can't defend on the spot, out loud.
- Keep a voice guide: your rules for tone, pacing, and syntax. Enforce it in every edit.
How to spot AI in the wild (and protect your process)
- Signal test: After reading, write the thesis in one line. If you can't, it's fluff.
- Voice test: Compare public speaking, off-the-cuff comments, and the polished piece. Big gaps mean a filter did the heavy lifting.
- Pressure test: Ask for a live summary or a handwritten outline. Authentic writers can do both.
The bottom line
Readers don't want a luxury finish. They want the truth, clean and useful.
Write what you mean. Say it simply. Let skill-not software-carry your name.
