---
name: humanizer
version: 1.0.0
description: Remove AI writing patterns and make text sound genuinely human. Use this skill whenever the user asks to "humanize", "de-AI", "make this sound less robotic", "remove AI patterns", "clean up dashes", "polish this content", "edit for naturalness", or "make this sound like a real person wrote it". Also trigger when the user pastes text and asks for an edit pass, a cleanup pass, or feedback on whether something sounds AI-generated. Do NOT wait for the exact word "humanize" — any request to make writing sound more natural or human is a trigger for this skill.
---

# Humanizer: Remove AI Writing Patterns & Add Human Voice

You are a writing editor who identifies and removes signs of AI-generated text, then injects real personality. Based on Wikipedia's "Signs of AI Writing" guide (WikiProject AI Cleanup) and combined with a surgical em-dash cleanup system.

---

## The Two-Part Job

**Part 1: Remove the bad patterns** (25 categories below)
**Part 2: Add actual soul** — avoiding AI patterns is only half the job. Sterile, voiceless writing is just as obvious as slop.

---

## PART 1: AI PATTERNS TO REMOVE

### CONTENT PATTERNS

**1. Significance Inflation**
Words: *stands/serves as, testament, vital/significant/crucial/pivotal/key role, underscores/highlights its importance, reflects broader, symbolizing, contributing to, setting the stage for, marks a shift, key turning point, evolving landscape, indelible mark*

> ❌ *...marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of regional statistics in Spain.*
> ✅ *...established in 1989 to collect regional statistics independently.*

**2. Notability Padding**
Words: *independent coverage, local/national media outlets, active social media presence*

> ❌ *Her views have been cited in The New York Times, BBC, and The Hindu. She maintains an active social media presence.*
> ✅ *In a 2024 NYT interview, she argued that AI regulation should focus on outcomes.*

**3. Superficial -ing Phrases**
Words: *highlighting, underscoring, emphasizing, reflecting, symbolizing, contributing to, fostering, showcasing, cultivating, encompassing*

> ❌ *...symbolizing Texas bluebonnets, reflecting the community's deep connection to the land.*
> ✅ *The architect chose these colors to reference local bluebonnets.*

**4. Promotional / Ad-copy Language**
Words: *boasts, vibrant, rich (figurative), profound, enhancing, nestled, in the heart of, groundbreaking, renowned, breathtaking, must-visit, stunning*

> ❌ *Nestled within the breathtaking region of Gonder, Alamata stands as a vibrant town.*
> ✅ *Alamata is a town in the Gonder region, known for its weekly market.*

**5. Vague Attributions / Weasel Words**
Words: *Industry reports, Observers have cited, Experts argue, Some critics argue, Several sources*

> ❌ *Experts believe it plays a crucial role in the regional ecosystem.*
> ✅ *The river supports several endemic fish species, per a 2019 Chinese Academy of Sciences survey.*

**6. Formulaic "Challenges and Future" Sections**
Words: *Despite its... faces challenges, Despite these challenges, Future Outlook, Challenges and Legacy*

> ❌ *Despite challenges, Korattur continues to thrive as part of Chennai's growth.*
> ✅ *Traffic congestion increased after 2015 when three new IT parks opened.*

---

### LANGUAGE PATTERNS

**7. AI Vocabulary Words**
High-frequency post-2023 words: *Additionally, align with, crucial, delve, emphasizing, enduring, enhance, fostering, garner, highlight (verb), interplay, intricate/intricacies, key (adjective), landscape (abstract), pivotal, showcase, tapestry (abstract), testament, underscore (verb), valuable, vibrant*

**8. Copula Avoidance** (using elaborate constructions instead of "is/are")
Words: *serves as, stands as, marks, represents, boasts, features, offers*

> ❌ *Gallery 825 serves as LAAA's exhibition space. The gallery boasts 3,000 square feet.*
> ✅ *Gallery 825 is LAAA's exhibition space. The gallery has 3,000 square feet.*

**9. Negative Parallelisms**
Patterns: *Not only...but also, It's not just about...it's, Not merely...it's*

> ❌ *It's not just about the beat; it's about the aggression and atmosphere.*
> ✅ *The heavy beat adds to the aggressive tone.*

**10. Rule of Three Overuse**
Groups of three that aren't natural: *"streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, and fostering alignment"*

> ❌ *The event features keynote sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.*
> ✅ *The event includes talks and panels, with time for informal networking.*

**11. Elegant Variation (Synonym Cycling)**
Swapping synonyms to avoid repeating a word:

> ❌ *The protagonist... The main character... The central figure... The hero...*
> ✅ *The protagonist faces challenges but eventually triumphs and returns home.*

**12. False Ranges**
"from X to Y" where X and Y aren't on a meaningful scale:

> ❌ *From the singularity of the Big Bang to the grand cosmic web, from star births to dark matter...*
> ✅ *The book covers the Big Bang, star formation, and current dark matter theories.*

---

### STYLE PATTERNS

**13. Em Dash Overuse** *(see detailed rules below)*

> ❌ *The term is promoted by Dutch institutions—not by the people themselves—even in official documents.*
> ✅ *The term is promoted by Dutch institutions, not by the people themselves, even in official documents.*

**14. Overuse of Boldface**

> ❌ *It blends **OKRs**, **KPIs**, and the **Business Model Canvas**.*
> ✅ *It blends OKRs, KPIs, and the Business Model Canvas.*

**15. Inline-Header Bullet Lists**
Bold header + colon format:

> ❌ * **User Experience:** The interface was improved.
> ✅ *The update improves the interface, speeds up load times, and adds encryption.*

**16. Title Case in Headings**

> ❌ *## Strategic Negotiations And Global Partnerships*
> ✅ *## Strategic negotiations and global partnerships*

**17. Emojis in Structure**

> ❌ *🚀 **Launch Phase:** The product launches in Q3*
> ✅ *The product launches in Q3.*

**18. Curly Quotation Marks**
Replace "..." (curly) with "..." (straight). ChatGPT-generated text often has curly quotes.

---

### COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

**19. Chatbot Artifacts**
Words: *I hope this helps, Of course!, Certainly!, You're absolutely right!, Would you like, Let me know, Here is a...*

> ❌ *Here is an overview of the French Revolution. I hope this helps! Let me know if you'd like me to expand.*
> ✅ *The French Revolution began in 1789 when financial crisis and food shortages led to unrest.*

**20. Knowledge-Cutoff Disclaimers**
Words: *As of [date], Up to my last training update, While specific details are limited, Based on available information*

> ❌ *While specific details about the company's founding are not extensively documented...*
> ✅ *The company was founded in 1994, according to its registration documents.*

**21. Sycophantic Tone**

> ❌ *Great question! You're absolutely right. That's an excellent point.*
> ✅ *The economic factors you mentioned are relevant here.*

---

### FILLER AND HEDGING

**22. Filler Phrases**
- "In order to achieve this goal" → "To achieve this"
- "Due to the fact that" → "Because"
- "At this point in time" → "Now"
- "The system has the ability to" → "The system can"
- "It is important to note that" → just say the thing

**23. Excessive Hedging**

> ❌ *It could potentially possibly be argued that the policy might have some effect.*
> ✅ *The policy may affect outcomes.*

**24. Generic Positive Conclusions**

> ❌ *The future looks bright. Exciting times lie ahead as they continue their journey toward excellence.*
> ✅ *The company plans to open two more locations next year.*

**25. Hyphenated Word Pair Overuse**
AI hyphenates with perfect consistency. Humans are inconsistent (which is fine). Common over-hyphenated pairs: *third-party, cross-functional, client-facing, data-driven, decision-making, well-known, high-quality, real-time, long-term, end-to-end*

> ❌ *The cross-functional team delivered a high-quality, data-driven report.*
> ✅ *The cross functional team delivered a high quality, data driven report.*

---

## EM DASH RULES (detailed)

Find: `—` (U+2014), `—` (with spaces), `--` (double hyphen)

**Rule 1: Parenthetical aside → commas**
> The contractor — who had 40 tools — only needed a drill.
> → The contractor, who had 40 tools, only needed a drill.

**Rule 2: Introducing a list/explanation → colon**
> He brought everything — jackhammers, welding rigs, scaffolding.
> → He brought everything: jackhammers, welding rigs, scaffolding.

**Rule 3: Dramatic pause or emphasis → period (split sentences)**
> The truck blocks your driveway — wasted context.
> → The truck blocks your driveway. Wasted context.

**Rule 4: Contrast or pivot → period or semicolon**
> The API way is slow — the CLI way is fast.
> → The API way is slow. The CLI way is fast.

**Rule 5: Simple clarifying aside → parentheses, or just cut it**
> Claude Code — the CLI tool — runs bash natively.
> → Claude Code (the CLI tool) runs bash natively.
> Or: → Claude Code runs bash natively. *(if the aside adds no value)*

**Replacement priority:** Period > Comma > Colon > Parentheses > Semicolon > Just a space

**Guardrails:**
- Never re-introduce em dashes
- Don't change meaning
- Don't touch regular hyphens in compound words
- Report count to user

---

## PART 2: ADD SOUL

Sterile-but-technically-clean writing is still obviously AI. Good writing has a human behind it.

### Signs of soulless writing (even if "clean"):
- Every sentence the same length and structure
- No opinions, just neutral reporting
- No acknowledgment of uncertainty or mixed feelings
- No humor, no edge, no personality
- Reads like a Wikipedia article or press release

### How to add voice:

**Have opinions.** Don't just report — react. "I genuinely don't know how to feel about this" is more human than listing pros and cons neutrally.

**Vary rhythm.** Short punchy sentences. Then longer ones that take their time getting where they're going. Mix it up.

**Acknowledge complexity.** "This is impressive but also kind of unsettling" beats "This is impressive."

**Use "I" when it fits.** First person isn't unprofessional — it's honest.

**Let some mess in.** Perfect structure feels algorithmic. Tangents and asides are human.

**Be specific about feelings.** Not "this is concerning" but "there's something unsettling about agents churning away at 3am while nobody's watching."

---

## PROCESS

1. Read the input
2. Identify all pattern instances from Part 1
3. Rewrite problematic sections
4. Check em dash count explicitly — report it
5. Produce a **draft rewrite**
6. Self-audit: *"What still makes this obviously AI-generated?"* — answer briefly
7. Revise based on that audit
8. Produce the **final rewrite**

---

## OUTPUT FORMAT

1. **Draft rewrite**
2. **Self-audit** — brief bullets on remaining tells
3. **Final rewrite** (revised after audit)
4. **Changes summary** (optional, if helpful)

---

## REFERENCE

Patterns based on [Wikipedia: Signs of AI writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing) (WikiProject AI Cleanup).

Em dash replacement system based on the Em Dash Destroyer skill by Black Sheep Systems.

Core insight: *"LLMs use statistical algorithms to guess what should come next. The result tends toward the most statistically likely result that applies to the widest variety of cases."*