Editing AI Output to Sound Like You

The AI Voice Problem

AI writes clearly and correctly—but it often sounds like... well, AI. Corporate. Generic. Safe.

Your writing has personality. Your writing sounds like you. This module teaches you to bridge that gap.

What Makes AI Sound Generic?

Common AI tells:

Overly formal openers:

• "I hope this email finds you well"
• "I am writing to inform you"
• "It is important to note that"
• "In today's fast-paced world"

Hedging language:

• "It seems that"
• "It could be argued that"
• "One might consider"
• "To a certain extent"

Corporate speak:

• "Leverage our synergies"
• "Circle back"
• "Drill down"
• "Take this offline"
• "Move the needle"

Too perfect:

• No contractions (it's → it is)
• No sentence fragments
• No personality quirks
• Too grammatically perfect

Generic enthusiasm:

• "Excited to announce"
• "Thrilled to share"
• "Delighted to inform"

Your first edit: Find and fix these.

Finding Your Natural Voice

Exercise: Compare your writing to AI's

1. Write a paragraph naturally about something you care about (no AI)
2. Have AI write about the same thing
3. Compare them

Notice:

• Do you use contractions? (AI often doesn't)
• Do you start sentences with "And" or "But"? (AI avoids this)
• Do you use casual phrases? ("honestly," "basically," "the thing is")
• Do you vary sentence length wildly? (AI is too consistent)
• Do you have a catchphrase or recurring pattern?

That's your voice. Keep those elements.

The Voice Adjustment Process

Step 1: Get AI's draft
Let AI write the content. Get the ideas and structure.

Step 2: Read it out loud
Seriously. Read it aloud.

• Does it sound like something you'd say?
• Would you actually use those words?
• Does the rhythm feel natural?

Step 3: Mark weird parts
Highlight phrases that feel off.

Step 4: Rewrite those parts in your voice
Don't change everything. Just the parts that don't sound like you.

This takes 2-3 minutes and makes a huge difference.

Specific Voice Adjustments

Add contractions:
AI: "It is important to note that we are not able to..."
You: "It's important to note that we can't..."

Simplify formal language:
AI: "I am writing to inquire about the status of..."
You: "Quick question about..."
or: "Checking in on..."

Add personal touches:
AI: "Thank you for your time."
You: "Thanks so much!"
or: "Appreciate you!"
or: "Thanks again, really helpful."

Use your actual greeting/signoff:
AI: "Dear [Name], ... Best regards,"
You: "Hey [Name], ... Thanks! [Your name]"
or: "Hi [Name], ... Cheers, [Your name]"

Break the rules sometimes:
AI never starts sentences with "And" or "But."
You might. And that's fine. But only if it sounds natural to you.

Add sentence variety:
AI writes: "This is good. This is helpful. This is important."
You might write: "This is good. Really helpful, actually. And super important."

Tone Spectrum: Adjusting AI Output

Too formal → More casual:

AI writes:

"I would like to request your assistance with this matter at your earliest convenience."

Casual version:

"Could you help me with this when you get a chance?"

Too casual → More professional:

AI writes (if you prompted "casual"):

"Hey, so basically we need to like, talk about the budget thing lol"

Professional version:

"Hi everyone, we should discuss the budget proposal. Are you free this week?"

Too enthusiastic → More measured:

AI writes:

"We're absolutely thrilled and incredibly excited to announce this amazing opportunity!"

Measured version:

"We're pleased to announce this opportunity."

Too dry → More engaging:

AI writes:

"The data indicates a positive trend."

Engaging version:

"Good news: the data shows we're headed in the right direction."

Personality Injection Techniques

1. Add your phrases:
Do you say "honestly," "to be fair," "the thing is," "here's the deal"?
Add them strategically.

Before:

"This approach has advantages and disadvantages."

After:

"Here's the thing: this approach has tradeoffs."

2. Use humor (if that's your style):
AI won't add jokes or wit. You can.

AI:

"This process is inefficient."

You:

"This process is about as efficient as mailing a letter to your neighbor."

(Only if humor fits the context!)

3. Add specific details:
AI is generic. You add the specific, personal touches.

AI:

"I appreciated our conversation about the project."

You:

"I appreciated our conversation about the marketing project—especially your idea about the Instagram campaign."

4. Show personality in examples:
AI:

"For instance, consider a retail business."

You:

"Like, imagine you run a coffee shop down the street."

5. Use rhetorical questions:
AI rarely asks questions in the flow of writing.

AI:

"This is an important consideration."

You:

"Why does this matter? Because it affects every team."

Voice Consistency Across Documents

Problem: Different pieces sound different.

Solution 1: Document your voice rules

Create a personal style guide:

• I use contractions
• I start with "Hi [name]" in emails
• I sign off with "Thanks!"
• I avoid "leverage," "synergy," corporate jargon
• I use "we" instead of "one" or passive voice
• I keep paragraphs short (3-4 sentences)
• I use specific examples, not generic ones

Solution 2: Give AI your style guide

Write this email following my style: [paste style guide]. Topic: [...]

Solution 3: Show AI your writing

Write this section in the same style as this example: [paste your previous writing]

Editing for Different Contexts

Professional email:

• Keep it concise
• Clear call to action
• Friendly but professional
• Your natural greeting/signoff

Report/document:

• Maintain professional tone
• Add your perspective and insights
• Use active voice ("we recommend" not "it is recommended")
• Include specific examples from your experience

Blog post:

• More conversational
• Direct address ("you," not "one")
• Your humor and personality
• Your unique insights and examples

Social media:

• Very casual
• Emojis if that's your style
• Short, punchy
• Authentic enthusiasm or opinion

Common Editing Mistakes

Mistake 1: Over-editing
You don't need to rewrite everything.

• If a sentence sounds fine, keep it
• Focus on the parts that sound wrong

Mistake 2: Under-editing
Don't just hit send on AI's raw output.

• Always read before sending
• Fix at least greetings, signoffs, and obvious AI phrases

Mistake 3: Making it too casual
Match the context.

• Work email ≠ text to a friend
• Formal report ≠ blog post
• Know your audience

Mistake 4: Losing clarity for style
Voice matters, but clarity matters more.

• Don't make it confusing to sound unique
• Professional context = lean toward clear over clever

Quick Editing Checklist

Before sending/publishing AI-written content:

• Read it out loud
• Replace "I hope this email finds you well" type phrases
• Add contractions where natural
• Replace generic greeting/signoff with yours
• Add at least one specific detail
• Check for corporate jargon you wouldn't use
• Verify it says what you actually mean
• Ensure tone matches context (professional/casual)
• Remove anything that sounds "off"

Takes 2 minutes. Makes it sound human.

Using AI to Match Your Voice Better

Give AI examples of your writing:

I need an email about [topic]. Here's my typical style: [paste example of your writing]. Write the email matching that tone and style.

Specify anti-patterns:

Write this professional but avoid phrases like "I hope this email finds you well," "circle back," "leverage," or overly formal language. Use contractions and be direct.

Describe your voice:

Write this in a friendly, direct style. Use short paragraphs. Be professional but conversational. Include a specific example.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Email

AI's version:

Dear Sarah,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request your assistance with the marketing report. Would you be able to provide feedback at your earliest convenience?

Best regards,
Alex

Your version:

Hi Sarah,

Hope you're having a good week! Could you take a look at the marketing report when you get a chance? Would love your feedback.

Thanks!
Alex

Example 2: Blog post opening

AI's version:

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, content marketing has become increasingly important for businesses seeking to engage their audience.

Your version:

Content marketing is everywhere. And if you're trying to grow your business, you can't ignore it.

Example 3: Report

AI's version:

It is recommended that the team leverage additional resources to optimize outcomes.

Your version:

We recommend adding two team members to improve results.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Before/after edit

1. Have AI write a professional email
2. Edit it to sound like you
3. Compare—what did you change?
4. Those are your voice markers

Exercise 2: Voice documentation
Write down 10 rules about your writing style:

• How you greet people
• Formal or casual?
• Contractions?
• Sentence length?
• Phrases you use often?

Exercise 3: The out-loud test

1. Have AI write something
2. Read it out loud
3. Every time you stumble, that's something to edit
4. Rewrite those parts naturally

Exercise 4: Matching exercise

1. Find an email you wrote
2. Have AI write about the same topic
3. Edit AI's version to match your original's style
4. Compare side by side

Tips for Faster Voice Editing

Focus on high-impact edits:

• First sentence (sets the tone)
• Last sentence (they remember this)
• Greeting and signoff (most personal)
• Any jargon or phrases you'd never say

Batch similar edits:

• Fix all contractions at once
• Then fix all greetings
• Then add personality touches

Build a replacement list:
Keep a doc of:

• AI phrase → Your phrase
• "I hope this finds you well" → "Hope you're doing well"
• "At your earliest convenience" → "When you get a chance"
• "Leverage" → "Use"

Save edited versions:
When you edit AI output well, save it.
Next time, show AI that example.