Common AI Words – What to Look Out For in Your Writing

It isn’t a secret that nowadays AI is being used everywhere. Major companies are adding AI features of questionable necessity to their interface, students and researchers are using AI assistants to condense information, marketers and content creators plan out strategies with AI and spit out tens of social media descriptions, trying to catch up to their competitors’ posting schedule. It is everywhere, and since more and more people are jumping on this train, they started to pick up on certain writing tendencies that AI seems to follow.

Why Are Some Words Flagged as AI?

Ever notice how AI sometimes sounds stuck on repeat? It picks the same words and sentence structures like it’s quoting its favorite tweet over and over. We don’t really know why these systems favor a handful of expressions, but one thing stands out: they learned from tons of content already online. They aren’t inventing language from nothing — they’re recycling what they’ve been fed (part of which is already lifeless AI content). Of course, with access to millions of articles and posts, you might expect a wider range of vocabulary, but for some reason, these generators just seem to favor a certain writing format.

Getting an AI like ChatGPT to switch up its style and tone of voice often is just impossible. The generated text tends to follow a default mode, which makes many responses sound surprisingly similar. Without human involvement, the final result can seem as if every answer came from the same script. This common voice can be easily seen if you constantly expose yourself to such generated output “fresh from the oven”, meaning, without any actual human editing.

Why are some words flagged as AI? The thing is – simply having a certain word in your text doesn’t necessarily mean it was created with AI. Sure, some terms pop up more than others, and that might raise a few eyebrows. Context plays a big role in how we judge a piece of writing, so a word on its own rarely seals the deal. However, if you consider that some teachers — who grade hundreds of student papers every day — might simply skim the work and base their evaluation on results provided by an AI tool, then it becomes clear: you need to get on with the times to protect yourself. So, whether you use AI assistants to write or prudishly avoid them at all costs, it’s helpful to be aware of common AI words just in case.  

How to Spot AI Generated Words

I mean… look at them? On a serious note, if you get used to working with generated texts, sooner or later you will pick up on its repetitive nature. There isn’t a strict list of forbidden AI words that if you mention them will jumpstart a decade-long curse on your family, but we will get into particular examples that you should be aware of later. The main point is – you will be able to spot them just by reading. However, it is important to note that some word choices are often easily explained by the document’s context (for example, in more scientific texts the narrative seems to be a bit stiff and harder to read); it doesn’t necessarily mean the content is complete garbage.

If you don’t have the time to check each and every of your essays to see whether they can raise any red flags, you can try using an AI detector. Even though such tools can’t guarantee a 100% result, they are fairly decent at spotting their own kind, so you can get a headstart and clean up your work before submitting it. Here, at Textero, you can use a built-in AI detector to see all the weak spots in your writing or run the text through our essay checker to get more in-depth comments on readability and overall topic discussion.

For those of you who want to dig a bit deeper and get some clear examples of overused ChatGPT phrases, read on!  

Top 50 AI Words List – Clean Up Your Paper

As we’ve established, when you read a piece of writing generated by an AI, you might notice certain words showing up. These common terms pop up by default no matter the topic, so you’re likely to spot these words scattered throughout the text.

If you’re a student or just a curious reader, this list of words that keep appearing in AI-generated text will help you with your future projects.

1. Innovate

AI uses “innovate” to suggest groundbreaking ideas while rehashing old concepts. It’s a way to dress up recycled notions with a veneer of forward-thinking ambition.

2. Discover

This word pops up to give the illusion of unearthing hidden gems. In truth, it’s AI’s way of pretending that every topic holds a secret revelation waiting to be found.

3. Tapestry

AI attempts to portray a complex, artful weaving of ideas. Instead, it often just strings together loosely connected thoughts in a feeble metaphor.

4. Foster

This word aims to create a warm, supportive vibe because that’s how most of the models were trained. 

5. Explore

A staple in intros, it hints at a journey of discovery. It’s as if the text promises a treasure hunt, even if the prize is just more words.

6. Integrate

AI relies on “integrate” to suggest a smooth blending of ideas.

7. Leverage

This word implies that one is using resources wisely to gain an advantage — a fancy way of saying “make the most of.”

8. Streamline

Popular for indicating efficiency, it suggests that complicated ideas have been smoothed out. Also very popular among marketers.

9. Utilize

A more formal substitute for “use,” which is an extremely common word that AI doesn’t want to repeat in every sentence.

10. Simplify

Used to make tough concepts sound easy, this word reassures readers that complexity is being cut down to size.

11. Modernize

A go-to term for updating things, it gives the text “a fresh coat of paint”.

12. Optimize

This word promises better performance or improvement, making everything seem more efficient on paper.

13. Refine

Implying a polishing of rough ideas, it makes the content appear more sophisticated (than it might actually be).

14. Build

Simple and effective, it talks about progress and creation, hinting that something solid is under construction.

15. Underscore

Just another synonym used for signaling importance. Perfect for intro sentences, am I right?

16. Implement

This word shows that plans are being put into action, giving “a practical twist” to theoretical ideas.

17. Transform

AI uses this to add drama by suggesting a major change, especially when talking about industries and businesses.

18. Develop

While not a bad word in itself, it is a go-to option for generative AI.

19. Analyze

ChatGPT and co basically work by “analyzing vast amounts of data”, so seeing this word isn’t surprising.

20. Improve

A promise of getting better, it is very popular for promotional texts.

21. Meticulous

Often chosen to imply a high degree of care and attention to detail, it adds an air of precision to the work. Though, it is unknown why AI always pick this word instead of other alternatives.

22. Navigating

The true staple of AI-written texts! Always appears when talking about problems and challenges that people face and try to…well, navigate.

23. Complexities

A dear friend of “navigating” who seems to always cling to it. This word makes issues sound intricate and layered, even if they are not.

24. Cutting-edge

A flashy term meant to suggest that something is ahead of its time, it spices up descriptions that might otherwise seem ordinary. 

25. Bespoke

Honestly, it isn’t clear why bespoke is so overused by generative AI. Maybe during the training process some devs tried to be creative but ended up forcing the chatbot to limit itself?

26. Crucial

Since “important” is a popular word, this one is just a substitute for it. Same with “vital” or “critical”.

27. Tailored

This word implies a perfect fit for specific needs – AI is trying to provide a personal touch to otherwise generic content.

28. Towards

Often used to indicate direction or purpose.

29. Underpin

Just like underscore, it serves to suggest a strong foundation or support. You will most probably spot it in introductions and conclusions, when talking about the significance of an issue.

30. Changing

A simple way to indicate that things are in flux, it replaces flashier alternatives to keep the tone light.

31. Boost

Used to mean “make better,” this term adds a positive spin to improvements, even if the boost is minor 😉

32. Array

A “creative” way to refer to a number of things, that’s it.

33. Package

Same as array.

34. Advisable

Since many ChatGPT outputs often circle around giving advice on certain topics, it uses the word to imply a recommendation, just in a fancier way. 

35. Daunting

Chosen to portray challenges as somewhat intimidating, it adds a touch of realism to difficult tasks.

36. Core

A substitute for heavier phrases that often appears when you need to highlight certain aspects by saying “at its core”.

37. Regarding

It simply helps introduce additional points without resorting to overused formal phrases. Sadly, it already became one.

38. Among

A leaner alternative to older group phrases, it neatly includes items without sounding stuffy.

39. Unlock

Implying the release of hidden value, AI tries to add excitement and anticipation to the discussion by using it.

40. Reveal

Used to suggest that something previously hidden is now coming to light, it builds a sense of discovery – perfectly pompous for generated content.

41. Endeavors

It makes challenges and attempts sound more meaningful, although unnecessarily fancy.

42. Verifying

This term hints at checking and confirming facts which is what ChatGPT often does (although, how precisely?).

43. Extensive

A way to denote a broad range, it makes the text sound more in-depth. The word definitely reflects the all-consuming love of AI for empty fluff.

44. Confirm

Used to solidify statements, it gives the text a sense of reliability and certainty.

45. Scope

It frames the topic in a wider context and allows to talk about the problems (e.g. the scope of issues).

46. Vital

Same as before – it makes key points seem more important and noteworthy.

47. Key

Once again, another way of saying “important”.

48. Whether

One of the most annoying generative words; for some reason, AI is always trying to squeeze it into the text, especially if it doesn’t have anything else to say. 9 out of 10 times it will be followed with three synonyms that are compared.

49. Comprehensive

A universal word when talking about something across-the-board. In typical AI fashion, doesn’t say much about the topic, yet sounds very fancy 💅

50. Ultimately

Generative AI absolutely adores using it in sentences towards the end of the text. It is likely due to the fact the bot was instructed to repeat any conclusion and put some sort of emphasis emphasis on it, when the text ends, but it ultimately chooses “ultimately” every single time.

What Else to Pay Attention to? Common AI Words in Essays

Again, the simple presence of certain words doesn’t indicate that a piece of content is completely AI-generated. But just like with “navigating complexities”, AI writers also tend to sin by using particular sentence structures. This is a better way to determine the origin of the text  (meaning, human vs AI) because it shows a slightly bigger picture. After all, a word or two is not enough evidence, but sentences as a whole… That’s an entirely different thing.

Here are some examples you’ve probably already seen.

• “It’s like having a…” – usually refers to a product or a service. Typically used in sentences such as “It’s like having a handy assistant that offers grammar corrections at any moment.”
• “By doing something, you can…” – AI absolutely loves starting sentences with the word “by” followed up with a gerund. 
• “Imagine this…” – there is nothing wrong with providing a vivid example to drive the point home, but AI writers always start it the same way.
• “It’s not just …, it is also…” – an attempt to add an extra punch to an otherwise ordinary statement. Nice in theory, but if you’re aiming for substance rather than style, it gets tiring.
• “Whether you’re a student, a writer, or a content creator…” – another tell-tale sign of AI involvement is starting a sentence with “whether” and then specifically stating three examples.

The list obviously doesn’t end there, but it is a good enough example for readers who are getting into AI writing. When you get familiar with these words and structures, you will be better able to spot AI-generated texts and analyze the information in a different light.

So, What Now?

With the current state of writing, AI will definitely not disappear any time soon. Such tools offer speed and a convenient way to organize thoughts so there’s nothing inherently wrong with using them. Still, it remains a tool rather than a complete substitute for human input. The internet is already overcrowded with AI-produced content that often lacks critical insights and personal touch. It’s important to remember that while AI can help with structure and brainstorming, the authenticity of your ideas can only come from your own experiences and reflections so put the work in, while AI tools support you on the sidelines.

FAQ

What are the AI words?

AI words refer to the common phrases and vocabulary that AI systems pull from their training data. These words appear in many texts because the models learn from a vast amount of online content, where such terms occur frequently. They form a basic toolkit that helps the system construct sentences that sound clear. Words like “innovate,” “discover,” and “explore” are common examples. 

They are not meant to be clever or groundbreaking; instead, they provide a reliable way to convey ideas in a neutral manner. Recognizing these words can help you understand why certain texts seem to follow a predictable pattern and can serve as clues when trying to spot machine-generated writing.

What words does AI use frequently?

AI tends to favor words that have shown up repeatedly in the training data it received from online sources. Terms such as “ensure,” “meticulous,” “crucial,” “daunting,” “essential,” and “discover” are among the top choices. These words appear because they fit well in many contexts and help maintain clarity in the text. 

This reliance on a familiar set of words is a byproduct of the learning process, where the system picks up on phrases that work reliably. Spotting these recurring words can offer insight into the method behind the machine’s style and help you decide if a text might have been generated by AI.

Are AI words bad for writing?

AI words are not inherently bad for writing; they simply serve a purpose. Their frequent appearance stems from the need to provide clear and predictable communication. However, too much repetition of these words can make the text feel plain and predictable. 

For readers who crave a bit of personality and originality, a text filled with standard phrases might have too much fluff and no actual substance. Writers looking to stand out may consider mixing in more varied language to break the monotony. In many practical cases, these words work just fine to convey ideas simply and clearly. Still, if you aim for a distinctive voice or a richer tone, adding unique expressions can make your work feel more engaging.

How to check text for using too many common AI phrases?

One effective way to check if your text relies heavily on common AI phrases is to compare it with known examples of machine-generated writing. There are online tools such as Textero’s AI detector that scan your text for repetition and flag phrases that appear too often. You can also review your work manually, paying close attention to words that seem to repeat without adding new meaning. If you notice a high frequency of the same terms, consider replacing some with alternative expressions that offer a fresh twist.