Should You Intentionally Put Mistakes in Your Content So People Know It’s Not AI?

You either thought I was crazy for asking this question, or you've been wondering about it yourself.

When I'm creating content, I have occasionally wondered if I should leave a little typo or grammatical error (like a fun little Easter egg) so that people know it's not AI.

As I was pondering this, I thought, "Where can I find out if other people are doing this?"

Well. AI, of course.

Turns out I'm not the only one who has wondered if this could be an effective way to let people know that I am writing the content, warts and all. According to Futurism.com, college students are trying to game the AI system by sprinkling in a few typos here and there.

As a 50-year-old woman, I felt like a baller being on top of this trend.

But overall, apparently, this is not the way to go. Which is good because then my Grammarly app would get bored.

The thing is that I DO use AI to help me with my writing, but it's not doing all the work. The fear is that if I (or anyone else) uses it too much, it will become a turn-off for your audience. Why would they click on your blog if they can just search the question you're answering and get the same information?

93.8% of news consumers said they want AI use disclosed.

Well, that makes sense. (And - in full disclosure - I got that stat from Perplexity.) I would find it refreshing if someone just said, "Hey. I thought you'd find this information interesting so I asked ChatGPT and here's what it said."

As I've said in many other blogs, AI is here to stay and part of me is extremely relieved; it does make me more efficient and it has become a bit of a brainstorming partner that I appreciate.

So, how can you integrate it into your content strategy and still keep your audience's trust and interest?

Here's what AI said:

Be transparent about AI use

You do not need a giant disclaimer at the top of every post. A simple note like “This article was drafted with AI support and edited by [your name]” is often enough. The point is to avoid misleading readers, clients, or editors about who shaped the final message.

Transparency also protects trust. If readers later suspect the content was hidden or mass-produced, they may question everything else on the page.

Add your own perspective

AI can help with structure, headlines, and first drafts, but it cannot replace your actual point of view. Your opinions, preferences, and experience are what make the content feel real. For example, instead of saying, “AI can improve content efficiency,” you might say, “I use AI to speed up outlining, but I always rewrite the intro because that’s where my voice matters most.”

That kind of detail signals a human mind behind the piece. It also makes the writing more memorable and more useful.

Use specific examples

Generic content feels AI-generated because it stays broad. Human content usually includes a story, a client pattern, a lesson learned, or a concrete example. Even a small detail, like a mistake you made, a conversation you had, or a real workflow you use, adds authenticity.

For instance, a paragraph about content trust becomes stronger if you say something like, “When I write for financial firms, I’ve found readers respond better to plain-English explanations than polished jargon.” That tells readers you actually know the space.

Keep the voice consistent

AI often produces text that is smooth but bland. Human writing has rhythm, emphasis, and occasional personality. You can strengthen that by using phrases you would actually say, varying sentence length, and cutting anything that sounds generic or overexplained.

A good test is this: read the draft out loud. If it sounds like a brochure instead of a real person, rewrite it. Your voice should feel natural, not sanitized.

Show judgment, not perfection

Readers usually trust content more when it has clear reasoning, not when it looks flawlessly machine-polished. A thoughtful opinion, a nuance, or even a small limitation can make the piece more credible. For example, “AI is helpful for speed, but I would never publish its first draft without editing” sounds grounded and honest.

That’s much better than trying to “perform human” by inserting random typos or awkward phrasing. Mistakes can look sloppy, but genuine judgment looks professional.

Authenticity Wins - ALWAYS

As we move forward into this new world, the rules us content marketers have always followed that are still true today have been about perspective, voice, personality, and niche. AI hasn't changed any of that - it's just made it more important.

I guess the lesson is that instaed of putting mitsakes in on purpose...we should just stick with the same old rules.

In other words, instead of being artificially messy, always go with authenticity.