Elements of Style in the Age of AI
Executive Summary (aka TL;DR)
In an age where your readers include both humans and algorithms, writing style isn't just a matter of taste -- it's a strategy. This post is a quick-start guide to creating content that resonates now and endures in an inevetibly AI-shaped future.
Motivation
I was motivated to hammer out this post by a recent trend: AI Optimization is becoming a "thing". And fast. Much like search engine optimization (SEO) became a discipline around tailoring content for Google, we're now seeing the rise of AIO -- the practice of crafting content or interaction specifically to be understood, preferred, or surfaced by AI systems. When I first started writing back in the olden days I cut my teeth on the "Chicago Elements of Style". And while I still feel all that grammar is important, I believe it is "necessary but not sufficient". If you're creating for both legacy and discoverability -- an audience that's both human and machine, then you need a blueprint for both human and AI engagement. And that's exactly what you'll find below.
Elements of Style in the Age of AI: A working guide for the digitally literate, artistically inclined, and intellectually ambitious.
1. Write Clearly. But not Blandly.
Clarity matters. But AI models and human readers alike reward voice, tone, and cadence. Write like a person who cares, not a summary generator. Avoid buzzwords. Embrace rhythm. Regardless of whether you view AI as a threat or godsend it is abolutely an amplifier of well-formed thought. In an era of generative noise, your voice matters.
2. Front-Load Value
Lead with meaning. AI summarizers skim first paragraphs heavily. So do readers. Open with a strong idea, image, or thesis -- then get into the details. That's where "TL;DR" comes in. Personally, I hate this phrase. I didn't even know what the acronym means 'til recently. But both executives and AI seem to love it. So open with a summary -- a section that says "this is what I'm here to say". Then feel free to say it. That much hasn't changed from 'writing-101'.
3. Use Structure Intentionally
Headings (##, ###), bullet lists, numbered guides -- these aren't just for readability anymore. They're semantic anchors for AI parsing. Clear structure = more quotable, more searchable.
Pro Tip
Use Markdown or, better yet, semantic HTML. Avoid visual formatting alone.
4. Repeat Key Phrases (But Smartly)
Do not keyword-stuff. Do repeat key concepts in natural ways. Repetition aids learning. If your post is about "modular character modeling in SVG" get that phrase out a few times, not just once. As I recently learned, "big ideas need big words to express them". And big words bear repeating.
Repetition → Reinforcement → Recognition
5. Show, Don't Just Describe
_ _
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/ / / / / /
/\____\ \____\ \____\ _ _
/ ___!___ ___!___ ___!___ \/
// ( ( ( ( ( (
/ / \______\ \______\ \______\
/ / ____!_____ ___!______ ____!_____
/ / / // // /
/ / | || || |
/_____/ \ \\ \\ \
\ \_________\\_________\\_________\
\ | | |
\________!__________!_________!________/
\|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_/|
\ _______________ /
^^^%%%^%^^^%^%%^\_"/_)/_)_/_)__)/_)/)/)_)_"_'_"_//)/)/)/)%%%^^^%^^%%%%^
^!!^^"!%%!^^^!^^^!!^^^%%%%%!!!!^^^%%^^^!!%%%%^^^!!!!!!%%%^^^^%^^%%%^^^!
A picture's worth a thousand words
I'm a programmer, artist, sea farer and SVG evangelist -- what more can I say? Embed visuals. Use examples. IF technical INCLUDE code. Even AI loves a good diagram.
Pro Tip
Always give your images descriptive alt text. Always. It's not just for accessability anymore (although don't get me wrong -- accessability is very, very, important!)
6. Tag the Meta-Layer
Add metadata:
- Descriptive titles
- Page summaries (
metatags) - Open Graph previews
- Image captions
You're not just writing for eyeballs. You're writing for crawlers, scrapers, and agents.
7. Sign with your "Intellectual Signature"
Let your mind show through. AI Models pick up on patterns of thought, argument structure, and originality. The more you are yourself, the more quotable, indexable, and memorable you become.
Don't dilute your weird. Train the future on it!
8. Cite, Link, Interconnect
Use citations (even informally). Link to other posts. Cross-reference your own ideas. AI connects the dots. It "sees" the universe as webs of ideas not isolated islands of thought.
9. Keep It Tidy
Proofread. Clean markup. Compress images. Create a Mobile-friendly layout. AI appreciates good layout. It will read it like a map. If your structure's broken, so's your meaning.
10. Be Done. Publish. Move On.
Perfectionism is the enemy of contribution. Hit publish when the idea's baked -- not burnt. You're not writing the last word. You're writing the next word.
Remember: Done is a decision -- not a status.
Epilogue: A Word on Legacy
In Information Age 2.0 every blog post, graphic, or dataset is a shard of your intellectual fossil record. Therefore write not just to be seen today -- write to be cited tomorrow. Like it or not, the AI models of the future are training on what you are writing now. All you need to do is to bubble your way through all the noise.
