78% of readers leave, 71% block you forever if they suspect your blog post is AI-written
zainhas · x · 2026-09-06
A follow-up survey from the Writing with LLMs report (668 responses from developers and tech-blog readers) quantifies how readers punish AI-scented blog posts:
- 78% will immediately stop reading if they suspect AI authorship
- 71% will avoid that author forever; 57% will downvote where possible
- 98% prefer imperfect-yet-authentic human writing over LLMified prose
- Non-native English speakers using LLMs to "polish" their writing get little mercy
The common motivations — beating the blank page, publishing more, saving time — benefit the writer but impose real reputational and distribution costs on the author.
Related event: Survey: 78% of readers bail on AI-written blogs, 98% prefer human writing(4 posts)→
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