Can you spot AI-generated text?
Last updated: July 2026
Below are eight short passages. Some were written by a person, some by a language model. Read each one, make your call, and we'll tell you what gave it away. Most people score between 4 and 6. See if you can beat that.
Nestled in the heart of the city, this charming cafe offers a delightful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. From expertly crafted coffee to freshly baked pastries, every detail is designed to elevate your morning routine. Whether you're catching up with friends, working remotely, or simply enjoying a quiet moment, this hidden gem has something for everyone.
What this quiz is really testing
Nobody can spot AI text with certainty, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. What you can do is get better at noticing the habits: the even, frictionless rhythm, the tidy three-part lists, the urge to tell you why everything matters, the summary paragraph nobody asked for. Human writing tends to be lumpier. It has odd priorities, asides that go nowhere, and sentences of wildly different lengths.
If you want the full list of tells and the reasons behind them, our guide to spotting AI-generated writing goes through all of them. And if you're wondering whether detection software does any better than you just did, the honest answer is in are AI detectors reliable?
If this one was useful, there's plenty more on the site. Pieces on how AI works, plus coverage of AI news, the downsides included. All free to read, no account needed.
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