How to humanise AI content for your business

AI can be brilliant at churning out words at speed, but it’s not so great at sounding like an actual person. Left untouched, AI-generated text can feel flat, robotic, and oddly generic. That’s a problem for any business that wants to connect with customers, because people buy into brands they trust. And trust is built on authenticity.

This guide explains how to make AI content more human, so it works for your business instead of against it. We’ll look at why unedited AI copy can damage your credibility, how to make it more natural and engaging, and the quick wins that keep all AI’s efficiency benefits without losing the human touch.

What’s the problem with AI content?

AI models are trained on huge volumes of text, so they tend to reuse common patterns, phrases, and sentence structures over and over again. You end up with copy that’s technically correct but often bland, repetitive, and lacking any sort of personality.

Some of the most common issues include:

• Stock phrases and filler: Look out for formal, overused or overblown copy like ‘In our ever-changing world’, ‘leverage the potential’, or ‘scalable solution’.

• Lack of storytelling: AI can describe, but it’s no narrator. It can't tell a personal anecdote, share a unique perspective or draw on the same expertise a person with lived experience can.

• One-size-fits-all tone: There’s a danger of seeing AI-generated content as the ultimate answer. If everyone’s using it, you end up with one big mess of identical, interchangeable content that could come from any business on the planet.

• Inventing stats or drawing conclusions: Stats can help land a point with impact. The problem is, AI can sometimes invent them to fit–and they’re often very believable. It can also misinterpret info or copy and come to a conclusion it thinks is right but is completely unrelated.

• Ethical questions: Be upfront about when you’ve used AI, and always check for plagiarism or copyright issues. Publishing unedited AI text, images, or logos without confirming you have the rights can damage trust and land you in legal trouble.

For more, take a look at Is it ethical for SMEs to use AI?

How to make AI content more human

Given that 67% of small businesses already use AI for content and SEO, if you’re letting it run around unchecked, you’re leaving yourself open to the pitfalls. Here’s how to use AI for content creation so it sounds like you, connects with your audience, and still saves time.

Add real business stories

AI can’t recreate authentic experiences, but you can. Drop in short examples from your own business–a customer success story, a project that wowed people, a case study, or quick behind-the-scenes detail. Any little details of real-life info that make the difference between sounding like a manual and a person.

Vary sentence length and structure

Any copywriter worth their money will tell you to mix it up. AI often writes in neat, medium-length sentences. Short, punchy lines grab attention, even if they’re only a couple of words.

Read your copy aloud

It’s simple but effective. Reading aloud can instantly catch any awkward or unnatural phrasing. And if you’re getting breathless, find it hard to understand, or it sounds like a metronome, split it into easily digestible pieces and shake it up.

Strip out the AI tells

Watch for phrases you’d never use if you were talking to someone, like “It’s important to note” or “In conclusion.” Replace them with natural language: “Something to keep in mind,” or “To sum up.”. AI also loves over-explaining simple points, so cut out anything that feels unnecessary.

Be conversational

Even in business writing, a touch of conversational tone makes your content more engaging. Don’t be afraid to use contractions (like don’t), speak directly to your reader (we, you, I) and ask the occasional question to keep them involved.

Instead of: “The implementation of the new policy will commence on the first of the month," go for: “Did you know we’re launching our new policy at the start of next month?”

Prompt for better starting points

In fairness to AI, it does its best. But it’s only as good as what it’s being asked to do. You can save editing time if you feed AI better prompts in the first place. Be specific about tone, audience, and structure. And if you’re not happy, ask it to dial it up or down.

“Write a blog post about marketing” will probably give you something dull and generic. But “Write a conversational blog post about five low-cost marketing strategies for small businesses” will give you the ideal head start.

Our guide on Writing better prompts: How to get more from AI is a great place to start.

Check facts and context

AI can sound confident even when it’s wrong. Always double-check stats, dates, and claims before publishing. And make sure they fit your audience. A UK figure might not apply in the US or EU, and some examples may not be right for your sector.

Find out how AI can help your business

Humanising AI content is about turning a robotic draft into something authentic, engaging, and unmistakably yours. AI can give you a first draft in seconds, but only you can add the expertise, personality, and credibility your audience trusts.

For more practical tips on making AI work for your business, check out V-Hub Digital Advice.