Academic Writing
AI vs Human Writing: Can You Tell the Difference?
Why generated text reads flat to markers, and what actually makes academic writing sound credible.
· 6 min read
Lecturers rarely need a detector to notice generated text. They notice the absence of the things real academic writing contains.
The usual tells
- Confident claims with no citation behind them.
- References that do not exist, or exist but say something else.
- Every paragraph the same length and shape.
- No engagement with the specific course material or local context.
- Discussion sections that summarise instead of interpreting.
What credible writing does
It takes a position, supports it with sources the reader can check, acknowledges limitations, and connects findings back to the specific question asked. That requires judgement, not just fluency.
Use tools honestly
Follow your institution's policy on AI use. Where tools are permitted, use them for structure and clarity — and make sure every claim and citation is verified by a human before submission.