4 Reasons AI Checkers Might Flag Your Writing Without ChatGPT

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AI writing detection tools are often unreliable, frequently marking human-written content as AI-generated due to factors like grammar, word choice, and overall style. This can create significant problems for students and anyone reliant on written communication.

If your writing is consistently flagged by AI detectors, here’s what might be happening and how you can address it.

Your Grammar Is Overly Polished

One reason AI detection tools identify text as AI-generated is the excessive polish of the grammar, combined with the use of conventional sentence structures. While AI typically avoids grammatical errors, even skilled human writers can make small mistakes. If your writing is devoid of stylistic nuances and sounds overly formal, it may lack a personal touch—something that can set off alarms with AI detectors.

For example, I analyzed a piece generated by ChatGPT using an AI detection tool, and it was flagged with a strikingly high likelihood of being AI-generated at 100%.

However, when I introduced a few minor grammatical errors and made slight stylistic modifications, the score dropped drastically to 81%.

You Utilize Common AI Vocabulary

Readers often develop an instinctive ability to identify AI-generated text based on repetitive phrases and commonly used words such as “delve,” “highlight,” “underscore,” and “pose.” The first noticeable shift in the use of “delve” in academic writings happened in 2023, coinciding with the launch of ChatGPT.

Making minor tweaks to the previously analyzed text changed its GPTZero score further down to 49%—a rating considered “human,” although not entirely free from academic scrutiny. These examples illustrate how easily AI detection tools can be misled.

As a writing tutor, I’ve observed that many of my students who are non-native English speakers frequently report receiving mistaken AI flags. This may be due to the tendency of AI developers to delegate data annotation to regions where English is commonly a second language. Thus, some words we associate with AI, like “delve,” might be reflectively linked to the vocabulary of non-native speakers.

Additionally, non-native speakers often possess a stronger grasp of grammar rules compared to native speakers, who typically rely on an intuitive command of the language. Therefore, those who communicate in English as a secondary language may encounter even more instances of false positives with AI checks, due to their appropriate use of grammar and vocabulary.

Using AI Writing Tools May Raise Flags

The aforementioned points can appear even in writing that hasn’t utilized a generative AI tool. Even when you sincerely attempt to compose original text while using writing aids like Grammarly, your work could be more likely to be flagged as AI-generated. This creates a dilemma in the academic landscape, as these tools are, in essence, generative AI tools, with students often leaning on them as a replacement for authentic learning instead of using them as supplementary support.

In my experience as a tutor, I’ve found that students who heavily depend on Grammarly experience greater anxiety regarding AI detection when submitting their work. If a significant portion of text is rewritten based on suggestions from an AI tool, a considerable part could indeed be viewed as AI-generated. Therefore, use writing aids judiciously and turn their suggestions into learning opportunities rather than simply applying them without thought.

Directly Copying ChatGPT’s Outputs Is a Certain Flag

Finally, if you directly utilize ChatGPT’s output without making meaningful revisions, your writing will likely be flagged by AI detection tools without any ambiguity—this is not a false positive. However, even if you strive to craft entirely original work, your impeccable grammar and select word choices could still trigger a false positive.

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