Generative AI is becoming a big part of how we communicate online.
Whether it’s drafting social media posts, writing articles, or even crafting emails, these tools can do a lot in just seconds.
They’re getting more sophisticated, too—so much so that it can be hard to tell whether the person you’re emailing back and forth with is actually… a person.
Now, why does this matter?
Well, if you’re receiving an important email—let’s say from a potential business partner, a job applicant, or a service provider—you’d want to know if the email was written by someone genuinely engaging with you or if they just ran your message through an AI tool.
Knowing the difference can help you judge the sincerity, effort, and even the expertise behind the response.
That’s exactly what this blog is about. We are going to discuss 8 signs that will help you identify – How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI?
I will also share some AI tools, that will help you with the process of identifying any email you receive, whether it is generated using generative AI.
8 Sign – How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI?
Sign 1️⃣ Natural or Robotic Language
Sign 2️⃣ Repetitive Phrasing or Sentences
Sign 3️⃣ Inconsistent or Lacking Personalization
Sign 4️⃣ Overly Polished or Error-Free
Sign 5️⃣ Limited Depth or Generic Responses
Sign 6️⃣ Odd or Out-of-Place Facts or Context
Sign 7️⃣ Quick Response Time With Complex Content
Sign 8️⃣ Overuse of Clichés or Buzzwords
Sign 1️⃣ Natural or Robotic Language
There is no doubt that language is one of the first tell-tale signs you could stumble upon when considering the possibility that the email had been written by a generative AI.
One of the common problems in the text written with the help of AI tools is that the text may sound too bureaucratic or even lifeless.
Even in the tagged lines, you might see some words or expressions that sound a little too formal for daily use.
For example, instead of saying, “We need to talk about this later,” an AI would say something like, “I would like to discuss this issue at a later time.” It feels more robotic, right?
If you imagine for a moment, people in their natural conversation don’t use stiff language, avoiding contractions, slang, or casual speaking to sound differently.
That non-specificity, along with a lot of the anthropomorphizing that comes from AI, means that there’s very little personality there, and a lot of the warmth is missing; instead, there is a very formal writing style that, to this reader at least, has this slightly forced ‘tone’.
However, it is probable that you would be surprised by the fact that AI cannot deal with subtleties.
An example of the output of the model might sound like, “Hey, I liked the last meeting we had, let’s see what we are able to come up with this time!”
An AI could translate it as “I liked the conversation, let us work together in the future.” The latter looks much more like a script than a natural conversation.
This is the first sign for How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI.
🔖 Why Is Controlling The Output of Generative AI Systems Important
Sign 2️⃣ Repetitive Phrasing or Sentences
Another red flag is the use of repetitive phrasing or sentences. AI-generated text often falls into patterns, repeating certain words or phrases that can make the content feel monotonous.
For example, if an email keeps saying things like, “I am looking forward to your response,” multiple times, it’s a sign that it might not be coming from a human who naturally varies their language.
You might also spot common loops in phrasing. AI can generate text that includes the same sentence structure, like starting multiple sentences with “This is” or “It is.” Instead of diverse sentence construction, it sticks to the same formula, which can quickly make the email feel dull and lifeless.
Lastly, AI tends to overuse certain expressions or keywords, which can be another giveaway. If you notice that an email is stuffed with buzzwords or industry jargon—like “synergy,” “leverage,” or “optimize”—without any real context, it might be a signal that you’re looking at AI-generated content.
h bnA human would likely provide more tailored language that feels genuine and connected to the conversation at hand.
Sign 3️⃣ Inconsistent or Lacking Personalization
Inconsistency and personalization are easy to notice but sometimes difficult to point out if the user uses smart prompts to generate an email with an AI tool.
This can be a sign to tell if an email may have been written using generative AI.
When you receive an email that feels generic, it can be a telltale sign that it was generated by AI.
For instance, if an email lacks personal details—like your name or specific references to past conversations—it can come off as impersonal.
A message that simply starts with “Dear User” or “Hello” instead of addressing you by name can give the impression that the sender is more interested in broadcasting a message than having a genuine dialogue.
Generative AI often struggles to incorporate context-specific references, too. It might miss out on details that a human would naturally include.
For example, in a follow-up email after a meeting, a human would likely mention something specific that was discussed, like a project timeline or a shared joke.
AI, however, might simply state, “Thank you for the meeting,” without any additional context.
This lack of personalization can make the email feel like a cookie-cutter response rather than a tailored message, which can be a red flag.
🔖 chatgpt, google bard, and anthropic claude are examples of which type of generative ai model
Sign 4️⃣ Overly Polished or Error-Free
Another common characteristic of AI-generated emails is their tendency to be overly polished or free of errors.
While it might seem great to receive a perfectly formatted email, it can actually raise suspicion.
Real human communication often includes typos, grammatical slips, or even casual phrases that might not adhere to strict language rules. We might type “you’re” instead of “your” or throw in a casual “LOL” now and then.
In contrast, AI-generated text typically comes out with immaculate grammar and a neat structure, which can make it feel too perfect.
This polished nature lacks the imperfections that characterize authentic human writing. Additionally, the flow of AI text can feel somewhat rigid or mechanical.
While it might be grammatically correct, it often lacks the natural ebb and flow that comes with a human touch. If an email reads like a well-crafted essay rather than a conversation, it’s worth taking a closer look.
Sign 5️⃣ Limited Depth or Generic Responses
Lastly, AI emails often fall short in terms of depth and nuance. If you notice that an email feels superficial or lacks a deeper understanding of the topic at hand, it might be a product of generative AI.
These tools are great at providing surface-level answers, but they can miss the complexities that come from genuine expertise.
For example, if you ask for feedback on a proposal and receive a generic response like, “It looks good overall,” without any specific insights or suggestions for improvement, it’s likely not coming from a human who has truly engaged with your work.
When reading through an email, pay attention to how detailed the responses are. Humans will often provide tailored feedback or include specific examples to illustrate their points, while AI tends to give generalized answers that may feel rushed or incomplete.
Spotting this lack of depth can help you identify when an email may not be as personalized or thoughtful as it should be.
Sign 6️⃣ Odd or Out-of-Place Facts or Context
One of the more curious traits of AI-generated emails is the occasional inclusion of odd or out-of-place facts.
For instance, an AI might reference a statistic from a study that doesn’t quite align with the topic being discussed.
If you receive an email that casually mentions the average lifespan of a blue whale in response to a question about a marketing strategy, that’s a clue something might be off.
AI sometimes misunderstands context and can produce irrelevant information.
For example, if you ask for feedback on a business proposal and the response includes a detailed history of your industry, it might not be the relevant insight you were looking for.
This mismatch can make the email feel artificial as if the writer didn’t truly grasp the discussion at hand.
Sign 7️⃣ Quick Response Time With Complex Content
Another sign that an email may have been generated by AI is an unusually quick response time, especially when it includes complex content.
If you send a detailed question or request and receive a thorough reply almost immediately, it raises eyebrows. Human responses typically take time, especially when they involve thoughtful analysis or detailed feedback.
To differentiate between human and AI response times, consider the complexity of the content. Humans often need time to digest information, reflect, and formulate a well-rounded reply.
AI, on the other hand, can generate responses at lightning speed. So, if you’re noticing quick replies with detailed information, it could be a hint that AI is behind the curtain.
🔖 Why Is Controlling The Output of Generative AI Systems Important
Sign 8️⃣ Overuse of Clichés or Buzzwords
AI models often lean heavily on clichés or buzzwords, which can make their writing feel stale and uninspired.
For instance, phrases like “think outside the box,” “synergize our efforts,” or “circle back” can show up frequently in AI-generated content. While these phrases might sound familiar and even professional, their overuse can make the email feel impersonal and formulaic.
Additionally, the lack of original or creative phrasing can be a giveaway. If an email reads like a collection of stock phrases rather than a unique message tailored to you, it’s worth questioning its origin.
A human communicator is more likely to use fresh language and express ideas in a way that reflects their personality, whereas AI might recycle familiar terms and phrases without adding genuine context.
How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI Using AI Tools?
Detecting whether an email was written by AI is a growing interest, especially as AI-generated content becomes more common.
Here are some AI tools designed to identify AI-written text, which can be useful for analyzing emails:
✅ Originality.AI
Originality.AI is a robust tool for detecting AI-written content, especially from models like ChatGPT, GPT-3, and GPT-4. It also checks for plagiarism, making it a great choice for ensuring content authenticity in professional emails.
✅ GPTZero
GPTZero was developed specifically to detect AI-generated content and is known for accurately identifying text created by language models. It offers sentence-level analysis to highlight suspected AI-generated sections, which is helpful for evaluating specific parts of emails.
✅ Sapling AI Detector
Sapling’s AI content detector can identify AI-written text from models like ChatGPT and GPT-3. Designed for business communications, it’s popular in customer support and sales to ensure responses are human-generated, but it works well for email content, too.
✅ Writer.com AI Content Detector
Writer.com offers a content detection tool to spot AI-written text, including from models like ChatGPT.
This tool provides insights into which parts of the content are likely AI-generated, making it useful for analyzing entire emails or parts of them.
✅ Hugging Face Transformers
Hugging Face offers open-source models for AI detection that can identify if the content was generated by large language models. While not a ready-to-use service, users familiar with machine learning can apply these models for more custom AI content detection in emails.
✅ Crossplag AI Content Detector
Crossplag detects AI-written content alongside plagiarism detection. It provides a percentage-based assessment, showing how much of the email content is likely AI-generated, which is valuable for overall content verification.
✅ Copyleaks AI Content Detector
Copyleaks detects AI-generated text with a high level of accuracy and supports multiple AI models. It provides detailed feedback on AI-generated sections, which is helpful for identifying automated content in emails.
Still, all of these tools have their beneficial points: some of them are aimed at detecting business-related texts, while others are designed for academic and more general text detection.
They can assist you in determining whether or not an email has been spawned by AI or has been written by a human depending on how specific or accurate you want it to be.
Final Conclusion On How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI
Analyzing your email content yourself probably takes time. Right. And when you have many emails to check and identify if emails are being written with AI tools. Then things become a little difficult.
You can see the above tools that is being used to identify AI-written textual content.
The use of language in any given email is among the earliest indicators that might help assess whether generative AI had a hand in its making.
One of the common issues with the AI tools of the text is that the language that the AI creates sounds rather official and rigid.
You will hear words and expressions that sound a little too carefully thought out or outright technical to be used in everyday spoken English.
For example, instead of asking, “Can I take a break now?” an AI prefers to put it this way: “I would like to pause the conversation.” It feels more robotic, right?
To sum. This way, several main indicators have been identified to focus on when it is necessary to evaluate whether an email has been written by generative AI.
Some of such indications include; the post’s unnatural language and impersonal address to the absence of personal information, funny facts and fast replies among others.
It is important to know what these signs are especially when you are in your communication or even in business correspondence.
This is especially the case as AI is to continue becoming a part of our daily interactions and it is crucial to know how to use these tools, while not forgetting who we are actually speaking to.
Still, if you are careful, you will also be ready for all these changes and will be able to go through them unscathed and with a clear mind.
Well, let’s think about it, people do not speak formally, they use contractions for a word or two, slang terms,, and informal phrases that seem ironic and reflect their character.
Real human-written articles and blogs do not have a procedural or robotic approach, that at times AI-generated content involves, this is because some require more warmth or informal inputs in their context.
However, you might discover that things like nuances are not easy for AI to process.
A human might say something like, “We had some good fun in the last meeting so I can’t wait to see what we will get up to the next.”
An AI could translate the one as “I liked what we discussed earlier and anticipating to work with you soon.” The latter seems more like a scripted one than actually a recorded discussion.
So, this is all about How Can You Tell An Email May Have Been Written Using Generative AI.
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