In what kind of world would a freelance copywriter be writing a blog entitled The Importance of Typos? In an increasingly AI-driven world. That’s what kind.
Did you know that there is now a Chrome extension designed to make AI-written copy look more human by adding typos?
Yes indeed. “Sinceerly” (geddit?) intentionally adds typos and grammatical errors, and removes capitalisation to help AI text seem less polished.’ Its purpose is to combat the “too perfect” look of LLM-written emails.
This tool is part of a growing trend to combat AI detection by deliberately adding human imperfections to text.
Now, I’d argue that AI copy is far from ‘too perfect’ or indeed polished. In fact, I’d argue it’s ‘very clearly AI’.
Just last week, a local and very wonderful animal rescue centre made two social media appeals for adopters for new residents. They were so very out of character and off-brand for an organisation I’ve been following for about 15 years. To my freelance copywriter eyes, it wasn’t a case of new volunteer/new appeals/social media writer. It was very clearly AI-produced, and it was nowhere near as good as their usual stuff. It was far less emotive. It didn’t speak directly to their local audience of devoted supporters/adopters. Plus, it was also MUCH longer and much harder to read. Longer because AI does tend to like the sound of its own voice and go on a bit, and should you challenge the validity of a point in AI, it tends to double down and has an inherent need to have the last word(S!).
Aside from the perfect/polished argument, the introduction of the Chrome add-on also implies that AI doesn’t make errors. Which we all know is not true. The examples of hallucinations/made-up guff are legion. Maybe it doesn’t do typos. But then again, neither does/do experienced copywriters (most of the time!), and we don’t make up stuff either.
I’m not sure a typo introducer is an effective way of trying to show you aren’t using AI. It’s a sledgehammer to crack a nut scenario.
It’s less, in my humble opinion, about the importance of typos and the lack thereof. But more about the importance, always, of being human. Human voices are distinct and recognisable and therein lies our strength. Don’t underestimate the importance of humans speaking to humans.
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For the purposes of research, I ran this through Claude.AI. and asked for a one-line précis.
It said, “A freelance copywriter argues that AI-generated text lacks human authenticity, using a Chrome extension that adds fake typos as a springboard to make the case that genuine humanity — not manufactured imperfection — is what good copy really needs.”
Then went on “That’s what I’d say. Though I’d gently note — it’s 38 words, which is a very long one-liner. If you want something punchier to quote, I could do you a shorter version? Something like: “In an AI world, the real problem isn’t too few typos — it’s too little humanity.”
That might work better as the closing gut-punch.”
Like I said…likes the sound of its own voice.
Don’t we all? But mine is very Northern, very dry and very human.