Sometimes, I’ll read a social media caption and immediately think: Yep, ChatGPT wrote that.
To be fair, AI-generated captions aren’t always bad—but they do have a certain feel to them. A little too polished, a little too generic, sometimes trying too hard to sound relatable.
As a writer, I’ve started noticing patterns in these AI-crafted captions. And once you know what to look for, you’ll start spotting them everywhere.
Here are seven signs that a social media caption wasn’t written by a human—but by ChatGPT instead.
1) It’s weirdly formal for the platform
Ever read a social media caption that sounds more like a corporate email than something a real person would say? That’s a dead giveaway.
ChatGPT tends to default to a formal, polished tone—sometimes too polished. Phrases like “In today’s fast-paced world…” or “One cannot underestimate the importance of…” might work in an essay, but they feel out of place under an Instagram selfie.
Most people write the way they talk when posting on social media. If a caption feels unusually stiff or overly structured, there’s a decent chance an AI had a hand in it.
2) It sounds like a motivational poster
The other day, I saw a friend post a gym selfie with the caption: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Now, don’t get me wrong—that’s a great quote. But it also felt oddly generic, like something you’d see on a poster in a high school classroom. Out of curiosity, I copied and pasted it into ChatGPT and asked where it came from. Sure enough, it pulled up the same phrase instantly.
AI loves motivational language.
It tends to default to broad, inspirational messages that sound nice but don’t actually say much. If a caption feels like it was pulled straight from a self-help book rather than someone’s actual thoughts, there’s a good chance ChatGPT had something to do with it.
3) It over-explains simple things
ChatGPT has a habit of saying in 20 words what could be said in five. Instead of a quick, casual caption like “Morning coffee hits different,” an AI-generated version might say, “There’s nothing quite like starting the day with a warm cup of coffee to boost energy and enhance productivity.”
This happens because AI models are trained to be thorough. They’re designed to provide clear, detailed responses—great for answering questions, not so great for writing snappy captions.
Humans tend to write in shorthand, assuming their audience already understands basic concepts. AI, on the other hand, often explains things that don’t really need explaining.
If a caption feels unnecessarily wordy or overly detailed for no reason, it might not have been written by a person at all.
4) It tries too hard to be relatable
Ever seen a caption that feels like it’s begging for engagement? Something like: “We all know that feeling when it’s Monday morning, and the coffee just isn’t kicking in… Who else can relate? 😂”
AI-generated captions often rely on universal experiences to sound more human. But in doing so, they sometimes come across as forced—like they’re trying a little too hard to mimic the way people talk online.
Real people don’t always structure their captions like a setup and punchline. If a post feels overly generic, like it was designed to appeal to the widest audience possible, there’s a good chance AI played a role in writing it.
5) It lacks any real personality
A while back, I posted about a trip that meant a lot to me. Instead of just saying “Amazing weekend in the mountains,” I wrote about how I almost canceled last minute, how I’d been feeling stuck in my routine, and how getting out into nature reset my mind in ways I didn’t even realize I needed.
That’s the kind of thing AI struggles with. It can describe an experience in broad strokes, but it rarely captures the small, messy, deeply human details that make a caption feel personal.
When someone shares something real—an unexpected thought, an inside joke, a tiny moment that stuck with them—you can feel that it came from them. If a caption feels like it could’ve been written by anyone, there’s a reason for that.
It probably wasn’t written by a person at all.
6) It uses clichés without adding anything new
Phrases like “Live, laugh, love,” “Chasing sunsets,” or “New year, new me” have been used so many times they barely mean anything anymore. But AI doesn’t know that—it just pulls from what’s most commonly written.
That’s why ChatGPT-generated captions often rely on overused expressions without adding a fresh perspective.
A person might say “This sunset looks like a watercolor painting” or “Starting the new year by actually finishing last year’s resolutions.” AI, on the other hand, tends to stick with the same tired phrases we’ve all seen a thousand times.
Clichés aren’t bad on their own, but when a caption feels like it could be printed on a generic greeting card, it probably wasn’t written by an actual person.
7) It doesn’t actually sound like the person who posted it
Everyone has a distinct way of writing, even in short captions. Some people are sarcastic, some are blunt, some write in all lowercase, some use way too many exclamation points.
When a caption suddenly feels off—too polished, too generic, too different from how someone normally writes—it’s a sign that AI might be involved.
Good writing isn’t just about sounding professional or well-structured. It’s about voice. And no matter how advanced AI gets, it still struggles to replicate the unique way each person expresses themselves.
Bottom line: Writing still needs a human touch
Language is more than just well-structured sentences—it’s emotion, personality, and the small imperfections that make something feel real.
AI can generate captions that are grammatically flawless, but they often lack the quirks and nuances that make human writing stand out.
It’s why even the most advanced models still struggle to replicate voice—that intangible quality that makes someone’s words unmistakably theirs.
As AI-generated content becomes more common, the ability to recognize what feels authentic will only become more valuable. Because at the end of the day, the most compelling writing doesn’t just fill space—it connects.
