Learning how to detect AI writing has become essential for Christians navigating today’s digital landscape. Last week I got an email that stopped me in my tracks…Last week I got an email that stopped me in my tracks. It was perfectly written – and I mean perfectly written. Every sentence flowed seamlessly into the next. The grammar was flawless. The tone was consistent throughout.
Too consistent.
Something in my spirit said “Dennis, look closer.” And that’s when it hit me – this wasn’t written by a human at all.
Now, I’m not against AI. As I’ve shared before, I believe God is sovereign over all technology, including artificial intelligence. But here’s the thing – we need to be wise. We need discernment. And right now, most believers I talk to wouldn’t know AI-generated text if it showed up wearing a name tag.
That’s a problem. Because AI writing is everywhere now, and some of it’s being used to deceive, manipulate, and spread lies. As Christians, we’re called to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). That includes being smart about the information we’re consuming and sharing.
So let me share what I’ve learned about how to detect AI writing in your daily life.. Not because I’m some tech expert – I’m just a guy who serves God and wants to help people navigate this digital world with wisdom through digital discipleship.
The “Too Perfect” Problem
Here’s what tripped me up about that email: it was too good. Real human writing has personality quirks, little imperfections, places where we ramble a bit or circle back to make a point. We use phrases like “you know what I mean?” or “here’s the thing” – stuff that shows our personality.
AI writing often feels… sanitized. Like it went through some kind of word processor that removed all the human fingerprints.
When I write (like right now), I sometimes start sentences with “And” even though my English teacher would cringe. I use parentheses way too much (seriously, it’s a problem). I’ll throw in a “Look…” when I’m about to make an important point.
AI doesn’t do that. It follows rules. Perfect grammar rules. Consistent tone rules. It’s like having a conversation with someone who never uses contractions and always speaks in complete, properly structured sentences. Technically correct, but… weird.
The Pattern Problem
AI loves patterns. And I mean loves them. It’ll use the same sentence structure over and over. It’ll repeat certain phrases throughout a piece. It’ll organize information in very predictable ways.
I was reading a blog post the other day (supposed to be about prayer, which caught my attention), and I noticed the writer kept using the exact same transition phrases: “Furthermore,” “Additionally,” “Moreover.” Who talks like that? I don’t know anyone who says “furthermore” in casual conversation, let alone three times in one article.
Human writers mix it up. We say “also” sometimes, “and another thing” other times, or we just jump into the next point without any transition at all because we assume you’re following along.
I wrote more about these patterns. You can find that paper under the resources tab of our website: www.biblemorning.com
The Experience Problem
This is a big one. AI can tell you about prayer, but it can’t tell you about that specific morning when God met you in your prayer closet and everything changed. It can write about healing, but it can’t share the details of sitting in a doctor’s office hearing words that defied medical explanation.
When I write about my journey with alcohol or oxygen dependency, I include weird little details that only someone who lived it would remember. Like the sound of the oxygen concentrator at night, or how people’s faces would change when they saw the plastic tube. AI might mention “medical equipment” but it won’t talk about how the tape from the nasal cannula left marks on your face.
Real human writing includes specific memories, personal reactions, things that happened to that particular person. AI writing tends to be generic – “people often experience…” or “many individuals find that…” It speaks in generalities because it doesn’t have personal experiences to draw from.
The Emotion Problem
Here’s something I’ve noticed – AI struggles with complex emotions. It can write “sad” or “happy” or “frustrated,” but it has trouble with the messy, complicated feelings humans actually experience.
Like when God healed my lungs, I wasn’t just “grateful.” I was grateful, overwhelmed, confused about why me, excited, almost afraid it wasn’t real, and feeling guilty that I got this miracle when others are still waiting. That’s a lot of emotions happening at once, and they don’t all make logical sense together.
AI writing about emotions tends to be… tidy. One emotion at a time. Appropriate responses to situations. It doesn’t capture the beautiful mess of how humans actually feel about things.
Some Practical Red Flags
Look, I’m not trying to make you paranoid about every email you get. But here are some things that make me take a closer look:
The writing feels too formal for the context. If someone’s writing about personal struggles but sounds like they’re giving a business presentation, that’s worth questioning.
Everything’s perfectly spelled and punctuated. Now, I’m not saying good writing is suspicious, but… real humans make typos. We forget commas. We sometimes write “it’s” when we mean “its” because we’re thinking faster than we’re typing.
There are no specific details. Generic examples, vague timeframes, no personal anecdotes. It’s like reading a textbook instead of hearing from a real person.
The tone never changes. Real people get excited about some points, more serious about others. We speed up, slow down, emphasize things differently. AI tends to maintain the same energy level throughout.
It sounds like a Wikipedia article. Very informative, very comprehensive, very… impersonal.
Trust Your Gut
Here’s what I’ve learned – that feeling in your spirit when something seems off? Pay attention to it. God gave us discernment for a reason.
If you’re reading something and thinking “this doesn’t sound like how a real person would say this,” trust that instinct. Maybe it’s human writing that just happens to be formal or stilted. Or maybe it’s AI trying to pass as human.
Either way, it’s worth digging deeper before you share it or base important decisions on it.
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Why This Matters for Christians
Look, we live in a time when deception is easier than ever. People can create fake testimonies, false teaching, misleading content about what the Bible says – all with AI writing that looks legitimate.
As believers, we have a responsibility to be wise and practice digital discipleship in all we do. Learning how to detect AI writing isn’t just about being tech-savvy – it’s about stewarding truth. To check sources. To ask questions. To not share things just because they sound good or confirm what we already believe.
And honestly? Learning to spot AI writing has made me a better reader of everything. I pay more attention now to whether content has that ring of truth, that authentic human voice, those personal details that show someone actually lived what they’re writing about.
Tools That Can Help (Sort Of)
There are websites out there that claim to detect AI writing. I’ve tried a few. Some are decent, some are… well, let’s just say they’re not perfect. They can give you a starting point, but don’t rely on them completely.
Your best tool is still your own discernment. Read with your brain engaged. Ask yourself – does this sound like a real person sharing real experiences? Or does it sound like a very sophisticated computer trying to mimic human writing?
Moving Forward
I’m not telling you to become suspicious of everything you read. But I am encouraging you to be thoughtful. Pay attention. Use the wisdom God gave you.
And when you’re writing – whether it’s emails, social media posts, blog articles, whatever – let your personality show through. Be authentically you. Share your real experiences. Use your natural voice.
Because in a world where machines can write like humans, the most valuable thing we can offer is our genuine humanity.
Next week, I’ll be talking about AI-generated images – because if you think spotting fake writing is tricky, wait until you see what artificial intelligence can do with pictures. Some of it will blow your mind… and some of it should make us very, very careful about believing everything we see.
What about you? Have you come across writing that made you wonder if it was human or artificial? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments.
