AI-Generated Emails: Key Signs to Spot and How to Avoid Being Flagged as Spam

AI-Generated Emails: Key Signs to Spot and How to Avoid Being Flagged as Spam
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    AI-generated emails are increasing, with 70% of partnership texts written by AI. Common issues include overly formal greetings, excessive transition words, and scripted supportive language, which make emails sound robotic. Experts advise personalising greetings, avoiding redundant phrases, and editing AI-generated content to improve authenticity and prevent emails from being flagged as spam.

    AI-Generated Emails: Key Signs to Spot and How to Avoid Being Flagged as Spam
    AI-Generated Emails: Key Signs to Spot and How to Avoid Being Flagged as Spam

    With over 6.7 billion AI-generated emails being sent daily, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between human-written and machine-generated content. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, its presence in email communication is growing. However, experts warn that relying on AI for email writing can inadvertently lead to your messages being flagged as spam.

    The rise of AI in email communication

    AI-generated emails are becoming a significant part of daily communication, with millions of partnership and business emails being written using AI tools. In fact, over the last year, approximately 70% of partnership texts have been written by AI. As more businesses turn to AI for efficiency, there is a growing concern about the quality and authenticity of these emails. Vahan Poghosyan, CEO and Co-Founder of Linkee, an AI link-building software company, shares his insights on this trend:

    AI-generated emails are sent more and more. In the last year, we noticed that around 70% of partnership texts are written by AI,” says Vahan Poghosyan, CEO and Co-Founder of AI link-building software company Linkee. “To deal with so many AI emails, we developed a system that spots generated texts, so we don’t spend as much effort and time on them. Using it, we save 1-1.5 hours a day on email communication.”

    Despite the convenience, AI-generated emails can often come across as inauthentic, and many recipients are growing more adept at recognising them. Here are some of the most common signs to watch out for:

    1. Overly formal greetings

    AI often relies on outdated or overly formal greetings such as “Dear Sir or Madam” or “I hope this message finds you well.” While these phrases may seem polite, they have become so commonly used by language models that they no longer hold any real value in contemporary communication. As AI lacks the ability to convey genuine sincerity, experts recommend replacing these formalities with more personalised greetings.

    “Want your message to land? Use someone’s actual name and get to the point. Skip the fluff,” advises experts in the field. In today’s fast-paced communication environment, brevity and personalisation are key.

    2. Excessive use of transition words

    Another common issue with AI-generated emails is the overuse of transition words. AI tends to load emails with connectors like “moreover,” “furthermore,” and “additionally.” While these terms are meant to improve clarity, their overuse can make the writing sound robotic and unnatural.

    AI often uses these words to structure sentences in a way that feels overly explanatory, leading to text that feels stilted and forced. Maria Harutyunyan, co-founder and head of SEO at Loopex Digital, suggests a more efficient approach to writing with AI:

    “If you want to save time writing emails with artificial intelligence, the better approach is feeding ChatGPT or whatever tool you’re using your own emails and writing samples,” says Maria Harutyunyan, co-founder and head of SEO at Loopex Digital. “That way, AI won’t fall back on generic phrasing.”

    Harutyunyan’s advice is simple: always read and edit AI-generated emails before sending them. The tools work best when they learn your voice, making your emails more authentic and less likely to be flagged as spam.

    3. Overused supportive language

    AI-generated emails often rely heavily on phrases that are too scripted and insincere. Phrases like “kindly let me know” or “don’t hesitate to reach out” appear in AI-generated content 287% more frequently than in emails written by humans. These phrases, while polite, can feel impersonal and lack the warmth that comes with authentic communication.

    Experts caution that AI often uses these supportive expressions as filler, making the message appear more formal and less personal. George El-Hage, Founder and CEO of Wave Connect, a digital business card provider, shares his thoughts on this trend:

    Email offers have increased 55% in the last year or two, but the quality hasn’t followed. We call it ‘soft spam’, George El-Hage, Founder & CEO of the digital business‑card provider Wave Connect, commented. “It looks legit at first, but it’s generated from broad prompts and misses key details. To fix this, we now assign every incoming message a relevancy score based on predefined AI email parameters. It cut our email reading time by half and helped us focus on real offers instead of AI-generated fluff.

    The impact of AI on email communication

    As AI continues to reshape communication, businesses and individuals must adapt to avoid getting caught in the flood of AI-generated messages. While AI can be an incredibly useful tool, it also brings challenges. Overuse of formalities, excessive transition phrases, and the over-reliance on supportive language can easily make emails sound artificial and unconvincing.

    In response to the growing prevalence of AI-generated emails, companies like Linkee are developing systems to identify these messages. By spotting AI-generated content, they are able to save time and improve the relevance of the emails they focus on. However, this technology also serves as a reminder of the growing need for authenticity in digital communication.

    How to improve your AI-generated emails

    While AI offers a great deal of convenience, experts emphasise the importance of editing and refining AI-generated emails to maintain authenticity. Here are a few key tips:

    • Personalise your greetings: Skip the formalities and address the recipient by their name. A simple, personal greeting goes a long way in making your email feel genuine.
    • Avoid overuse of transitions: Let your ideas flow naturally, without excessive transitional phrases. This will make your writing sound more conversational and less robotic.
    • Use supportive language sparingly: Instead of relying on overly formal phrases like “please don’t hesitate to reach out,” try using more natural and direct language that fits the context of your communication.