5 Dead Giveaways Your Email Was Written by AI (And How to Fix It)

A lot of people can tell when an email wasn't written by a human. A 2025 study by Binder found 65% of US consumers could accurately identify AI-generated content. That number is only growing as more people get familiar with AI's common habits and tells.

This matters for marketers. While AI can help with transactional updates or quick answers, the lines get blurry when it tries to create personal, emotionally charged content. When your customers sense something isn't real, their guard goes up, and trust drops. An ethical marketing report by Washington State University confirms Americans are skeptical about AI's expanding role in marketing.

In a crowded market, customers are looking for reasons to narrow their choices. One whiff of inauthentic marketing, and you could lose a customer forever without even knowing it.

Key Takeaways

• Over half of US consumers can spot AI-generated content, and this number is rising.
• AI-written marketing emails, especially those trying to sound personal, can erode customer trust.
• Look for overly dramatic language, repetitive sentence structures, and a lack of personal stories as key AI tells.
• Stiff transitions and perfectly flawless grammar are also signs an email might be AI-generated.
• You can use AI for drafting, but always add your own human voice, stories, and quirks to build genuine connection.

The Trust Problem: Why AI-Generated Emails Backfire

Your customers are already wary, and their trust is low. They are looking for reasons to count you out and simplify their choices. If you don't take the time to communicate like a human, they won't take the time to tell you they've lost trust. They'll just move on.

Most people can spot AI content. Can you? Here are five dead giveaways that an email was written by AI.

5 Signs Your Email Might Be AI-Generated

1. Overly Dramatic or Cliched Language

AI loves making big, sweeping statements that sound like a bad advertisement. Think phrases like, "This is a big deal" or "discover your true potential." These might be talking about a pair of shoes. Or consider "Make your emails unstoppable." What exactly is an unstoppable email?

It's easy to spot an AI trying too hard when it uses terms like "innovative" or "groundbreaking" for something fairly routine. Not only are these phrases overly dramatic, but they often feel hollow and empty. They're misused, overused, or just don't make sense in context, making the writing feel forced, exaggerated, and unnatural.

2. Repetitive Sentence Patterns and Predictable Flow

AI emails can sound like a broken record: the same sentence patterns, phrasing, and rhythm repeated over and over. You'll often see repetitive patterns of three, like "No fluff, no filler, no stress" or "fast, simple, effective."

Another common AI habit is placing a descriptive adjective before every single noun, such as "your thoughtful strategy, clear messaging, and intentional design." While descriptive writing is good, AI can be too formulaic. Your eyes might glaze over before you finish the first paragraph.

Human emails rarely follow such a predictable pattern. We mix it up with short sentences, long sentences, questions, exclamations, and even fragments. We write like we talk. AI struggles to replicate the natural rhythm of a human brain. If an email feels predictable, robotic, or like it's trying too hard to make you feel something but leaves you feeling nothing, it's probably AI-written.

3. No Real Stories or Personal Touch

This is a major giveaway. AI often writes like it's creating a features and benefits checklist. It goes straight to the point: "Here's why I'm emailing you. Click here. Sign off." Where are the real stories, the relatable examples, the personal anecdotes, or the lived experiences that make a message feel real?

Sure, AI can generate a story, but it can't write your story. It doesn't know what you're doing right now. The goal of every email should be to make the reader feel like they're more than just another number. The most engaging emails often start with a random story from the sender's day or include references to their past. Funny, weird, random, or even embarrassing real-life events make emails feel authentic and enjoyable to read. Incorporating stories makes you more memorable and increases the chances readers will open, read, and act on their emails.

4. Stiff Transitions and Formal Language

Humans jump naturally between ideas. We might say, "I just moved into my new house. Hey, look at this cool tree outside my window. Oh, that reminds me of this other thing I wanted to tell you about." When we write emails, they should sound like a conversation with a friend, flowing naturally from one point to the next.

AI struggles with this. It often uses stiff and awkward transitions like "furthermore" or "in conclusion" or even misused "that being said." Your email should feel like those handwritten notes you passed to your best friend in class, not a college dissertation.

5. Grammar That's Just Too Perfect

Real emails have quirks. They might include a one-word line for emphasis, like a playful "ugh" or "yup," or an occasional broken sentence. Many people also share fun asides in parentheses (like this one!). Real emails don't always have perfect grammar.

If your writing is technically perfect and grammatically flawless, it can sometimes be less interesting. Modern internet readers scrolling through content want to be entertained, educated, or inspired. They want to relate. Sometimes, writing needs to be a certain way to be approachable. It's fine to emphasize a word with bolding, use ellipses (...) for smoother transitions, invent words if they fit your brand, or even use the occasional uppercase text or a dash. If your messaging is overly formal, long-winded, or super technical, you're giving off major AI vibes and need to loosen up.

Making Your Emails Sound Human: The 'Bones and Muscle' Approach

This doesn't mean you can't use AI to help you outline or draft your email. You absolutely can. Think of what AI gives you as the bones of your email. You still need to add the muscle, the fibers, the tendons, the skin, and the heart.

This means injecting real-life stories, your unique quirks, and those random thoughts that make you, well, you. These elements are essential for sounding real, building trust with your audience, and making your emails genuinely connect.