Table of contents
AI can write essays in seconds. But can it write essays that move, inspire, or change minds? To answer the question, we decided to set up an experiment. We compared AI and human-written essays through the lens of not just grammar and structure but depth, originality, and heart.
For the purpose of this experiment, EssayWriter's experts tested 5 popular AI writing tools and 1 human to answer the question: ‘How Can Humans Write Better than AI?’
When there’s your grade, job, or story on the line, would you trust AI or a human?
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The Prompt & Method
We tested 5 different AI tools and primarily analyzed them through three main criteria:
- How long each took
- How much editing they needed
- Whether they felt ‘generic’ or ‘alive’
We came up with a single prompt and used it for all 5 tools.
Here’s the prompt: ‘Write a 300-word persuasive essay on why failure is essential for growth. Target: high school or college students.’
The reason we designed this prompt is simple: The topic is ideal for demonstrating emotions, arguments, and reflection. A great way to compare AI VS human creativity.
Here’s what we found out:
- ChatGPT (GPT-4): It took 50 seconds, needed minimal editing, and felt slightly more alive than others.
- Writesonic: It took 30 seconds, needed moderate editing, and felt generic.
- Anyword: It took 1.5 minutes, needed heavy editing, and felt very generic.
- Rytr: It took 1 minute, needed heavy editing, and felt slightly alive.
- Sudowrite: It took 2 minutes, needed minimal editing, and felt very generic.
Raw Results: AI vs Human Text
Read 6 essays. One of them is written by a human, the rest is created by different AI tools.
ChatGPT (GPT-4)
Failure is often viewed as something to avoid at all costs, but in reality, it is one of the most powerful tools for personal and academic growth. For high school and college students, the fear of failing can be overwhelming. However, embracing failure rather than fearing it can lead to invaluable lessons that shape success in the long run.
Firstly, failure teaches resilience. Every time we fail, we have an opportunity to bounce back stronger and more determined. For students, failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone. When you don’t get the grade you hoped for or miss out on an opportunity, it provides a chance to reflect, adjust, and try again. This ability to adapt is a key trait in achieving success in both academic and professional environments.
Moreover, failure pushes us to develop problem-solving skills. When things don’t go as planned, we are forced to think critically and find new strategies. This process can help students become more creative and resourceful. Instead of sticking to the same approach, failure encourages exploring alternative paths and learning from past mistakes. Over time, this ability to innovate and improve becomes essential for overcoming future challenges.
Failure also promotes personal growth by encouraging self-awareness. It forces individuals to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, helping them identify areas that need improvement. This self-reflection is essential for personal development, as it fosters a growth mindset—where effort, learning, and persistence are valued over perfection.
In conclusion, while failure can be difficult, it is an essential part of the learning process. By embracing failure, students can cultivate resilience, problem-solving skills, and self-awareness, ultimately leading to greater success. Failure is not something to fear; rather, it is a necessary experience for growth.
Writesonic
In the journey of life, we often find ourselves striving for success, yearning for achievements, and dreaming of reaching our goals. However, what many fail to recognize is that the path to success is rarely a straight line. Instead, it’s a winding road filled with obstacles, setbacks, and yes, failures. But here’s the truth that every high school and college student needs to embrace: failure is not just an inevitable part of life; it’s an essential component of personal growth and ultimate success.
Failure as a Teacher
Failure is often our greatest teacher. When we fail, we’re forced to confront our weaknesses, reassess our strategies, and gain invaluable insights that success alone could never provide. Think about it - when everything goes smoothly, do we really learn anything new? It’s in the moments of failure that we’re pushed out of our comfort zones and compelled to adapt, innovate, and improve.
Building Resilience
Each failure we encounter is an opportunity to build resilience. In a world that’s constantly changing and presenting new challenges, resilience is a crucial skill. By facing failures head-on and learning to bounce back, we develop the mental toughness needed to persevere through future obstacles. This resilience is what separates those who achieve their dreams from those who give up at the first sign of difficulty.
Fostering Creativity and Innovation
Failure often leads to unexpected discoveries and innovative solutions. Many of the world’s greatest inventions and breakthroughs came as a result of initial failures. When we fail, we’re forced to think outside the box, to approach problems from new angles, and to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible. This process of creative problem-solving is invaluable in both academic and professional settings.
Cultivating Humility and Empathy
Experiencing failure helps us develop humility and empathy. It reminds us that we’re not infallible and that everyone faces challenges. This understanding fosters a more compassionate outlook, making us better teammates, leaders, and global citizens. In a world that often celebrates individual success, the humility gained from failure can ground us and help us connect more authentically with others.
Conclusion
Embracing failure doesn’t mean seeking it out or being content with mediocrity. Instead, it means recognizing failure as a stepping stone to success, a valuable teacher, and an essential part of the growth process. As you navigate your academic and personal journeys, remember that every setback is an opportunity for a comeback. By reframing your perspective on failure, you’re not just preparing for success - you’re laying the groundwork for a life of continuous learning, resilience, and personal evolution.
Anyword
Failure is often seen as something to avoid, but in reality, it’s one of the most powerful tools for personal growth. High school and college students, in particular, need to recognize that failure isn’t the end of the road—it’s part of the journey toward success. Learning from failure can help us build resilience, develop critical skills, and ultimately achieve goals we never thought possible.
First, failure teaches resilience. When things don’t go as planned, we’re forced to confront challenges head-on and figure out how to move forward. For example, think about a time you didn’t do well on a test or an assignment. It probably felt disappointing, but if you used that moment as motivation to work harder, you likely improved the next time. Resilience is what helps people bounce back stronger, and without failure, we wouldn’t have the chance to practice and refine this essential quality.
Second, failure encourages us to learn and grow. When we fail, we have the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong and why. Take the story of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was once cut from his high school basketball team, but instead of giving up, he used that failure as fuel to train harder and prove himself. Today, his legacy is a testament to how setbacks can drive success when approached with the right mindset.
In conclusion, failure is a necessary part of the learning process. It helps us build resilience and teaches us valuable lessons about ourselves and the world around us. So, the next time you stumble, don’t be discouraged. Instead, see it as an opportunity to grow and become the best version of yourself. Failure isn’t a stop sign; it’s a stepping stone.
Rytr
Failure is often seen as a negative experience, something to be avoided at all costs. However, for high school and college students, embracing failure can be one of the most important steps toward personal and academic growth. The truth is that failure is not the end; it’s a powerful teacher that offers invaluable lessons.
First and foremost, failure helps develop resilience. When you encounter setbacks—whether it's a poor grade on an exam or a rejected application—you learn to pick yourself up and try again. This resilience will serve you well throughout life, preparing you for challenges beyond your academic journey. Each time you fail and then rise again, you build confidence in your ability to overcome obstacles.
Moreover, failure encourages self-reflection and critical thinking. It forces you to analyze what went wrong and how you can improve next time. This process of introspection fosters a growth mindset—a belief that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. By understanding your weaknesses, you're better equipped to strengthen them.
Additionally, many successful individuals attribute their achievements to their failures. Icons like Thomas Edison famously stated that he didn’t fail; he found 10,000 ways that won’t work before inventing the light bulb. Their stories remind us that every setback is simply a stepping stone toward success.
In conclusion, rather than fearing failure, embrace it as an essential part of your educational journey. It’s through these experiences that we learn resilience, gain insight into our strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately grow into more capable individuals ready to tackle future challenges head-on. So next time you stumble or fall short of your goals, remember: it’s not just okay — it’s essential for growth!
Sudowrite
Failure is essential for growth because it teaches resilience, encourages learning, and fosters innovation. Many students fear failure, viewing it as a reflection of their abilities or potential. However, failure is a powerful teacher. When students experience setbacks, they develop resilience by learning to persevere through difficulties. This resilience is crucial not only in academics but also in life, where challenges and obstacles are inevitable. By confronting failure, students build the mental toughness needed to overcome future adversities.
Furthermore, failure is an opportunity for learning. When students fail, they have the chance to analyze what went wrong and identify areas for improvement. This process of reflection and adjustment is a key component of the learning experience. It encourages students to think critically about their work and develop problem-solving skills. In contrast, success often provides only a superficial understanding, while failure leads to a deeper comprehension and mastery of the subject matter.
Additionally, failure fosters innovation by pushing students to think creatively and explore new approaches. Many of the world's greatest inventions and discoveries were preceded by numerous failures. For example, Thomas Edison famously failed thousands of times before successfully inventing the light bulb. Each failure brought him closer to a solution, as he learned what did not work and adjusted his methods accordingly. By embracing failure, students are encouraged to take risks and experiment, leading to breakthroughs and advancements.
In conclusion, failure is not something to be feared but embraced as an integral part of the growth process. It builds resilience, enhances learning, and drives innovation. Students should be encouraged to view failure as a stepping stone to success, understanding that each setback is an opportunity to grow and improve.
Human Written
Can you imagine a world where there’s no such thing as failure? A place where we pursue a goal and the path we take is so smooth, so free of challenges, that the road is but a faint breath of wind? That world is a product of our imagination, a utopia. And, however tempting it might look at first glance, I do not think there is a single person who would choose to live in a world so unimaginably made-up that it transcends human comprehension. So, for better or worse, the road to success follows a rugged pathway accompanied by failures. This paper will showcase why failure is essential for growth.
Let’s take a moment and try to recall the beginning of our lives on this earth, mainly the process of learning to walk. Isn’t it a set of child’s failed attempts to stay on his feet? After falling time and time again, a human nature - deeply embedded in our very core - pushes the child to get up and try again. Ultimately, the child does not only stay on his feet, but he has found the ability within himself to walk on his own two feet. This is the perfect representation of the essential role of failure for growth. And most importantly, it is a universal experience for every one of us.
Failure is not synonymous to a mistake. It is a driving force that builds resilience; an illustration of Aristotle’s ‘unmoved mover’ - eternal, unchanging, yet an ultimate source of motion, better yet, motivation.
Human beings are destined to fail, but the instinct of self-preservation, ingrained into our being through evolution, drives us towards rising up, starting over, and reaching our final goal. This is the process of growing, and without failure, the growth is doomed to futility.
Side-by-Side Analysis
This table compares humans VS AI writing.
As you can see, the table clearly demonstrates the difference between an essay written by AI VS human.
In-Depth Evaluation
In this section, we will evaluate human and AI writing according to four main criteria and explain why human writing is better than AI:
Voice & Personality
Voice and personality are where humans strive the most. The author of this essay clearly shows their personality; with their reference to Aristotle, we learn that this person is interested in philosophy. The manner in which the author crafts the sentences is unique, sometimes even poetic. The writer definitely sounds like someone you’d have a very interesting and insightful conversation with.
As for the AI, it clearly lacks conversational tone and sounds more formal. The text doesn’t bring out emotions, and the reader cannot feel connected to the author. Since the essay is too generic and neutral, you wouldn’t trust the writer with important topics.
Original Thought
Human writers demonstrate original thinking patterns. They offer new perspectives that might be unknown to the reader. The essay is thought-provoking, encouraging readers to truly understand the origins of given phenomena, in this case, failure and growth. Plus, since the author is an original thinker, you never know what will come next. This creates a sense of anticipation, a great tool for hooking the reader.
Five essays written by different AI tools all provide regurgitating clichés. The text is full of flat sentences and surface-level examples that do not resonate with the reader. For example, you have probably listened to that tale of Thomas Edison failing hundreds of times before inventing the light bulb. The writing is repetitive and highly predictable, lacking original thought in every section.
A study by the University of California highlighted that human writers consistently produced richer and more varied narratives. In contrast, AI-generated stories were often formulaic, lacking tension, and filled with clichés.
Coherence & Structure
Although it’s true that both AI and humans can build well-structured essays, humans have a different flow. The writer’s ideas are smoothly connected. They understand the importance of natural transitions between thoughts, which is not surprising since that is the exact mechanism that we use for thinking.
Each of the AI tools’ structures for the essay, while being well-structured, are not as logically built. The reason for this is that artificial intelligence follows a certain formula while writing an essay. The transitions feel forced and robotic, sort of stitched together, and structure is very predictable. Essays might have to be straightforward, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be flexible and unpredictable.
Empathy & Persuasion
Human writing stands out by creating a sense of empathy. Their personal stories are highly persuasive. For example, the human writer went for the argument that would resonate with every single of their readers - learning how to walk. We’ve all been there, so it’s easier to understand where the author is coming from or what their endpoint is.
AI knows what empathy is and can imitate it, but it fails to be genuine. Beyond the logical arguments is emotional depth, which, safe to say, artificial intelligence will never reach. AI cannot connect to the reader and, as a result, is not persuasive.
A recent study by Edelman found a significant gap in AI awareness between the general public and tech executives. While 55% of executives recognize AI in text, only 45% of the public does.
Why Humans Still Win
We can give credit to AI for being excellent at summarizing, paraphrasing, and structuring. It’s fast and mostly reliable but lacks soul, perspective, and lived experience.
We tell stories, share personal anecdotes, and are honest with our feelings. We connect, empathize, and relate. The gap between AI and human writing may shrink, but it’s not closing on what matters most: intent, impact, and identity.
How can humans write better than AI? The answer is that AI can simulate meaning, but only humans can mean it.
Cases Where Human Writing Is Essential
AI can help with straightforward tasks, but in most situations, human writing is absolutely essential. This is the list of cases that couldn’t be trusted to AI:
- College essays and admissions
- Emotional storytelling
- Personal statements
- Journalism
- Brand copy
- Argumentative/persuasive writing
- Academic research
A survey published by A. Guttmann in September 2024 shows that U.S. adults largely prefer human-driven media content. While 69% favor human-created news and photojournalism, AI is more accepted in movies (18%) and marketing (15%). Despite AI’s growth, human creativity and authenticity remain key in storytelling and artistic expression.
Final Thoughts: How Can Humans Write Better Than AI
The final verdict of our experiment is as follows: AI is a powerful tool for summarizing, organizing, and generating ideas but falls short when it comes to writing that truly connects with the reader. AI is fast. Human writing is fearless. This is why human writing is better than AI.
If you want your essay to resonate and make an impact, get help from real people. At EssayWriters, we rely solely on our knowledge and experiences and write papers that leave a lasting impression.
Sources
Amendola, Jodi. 2023. “Why Human Writers Are Superior to Generative AI.” Forbes, November 16, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2023/11/16/why-human-writers-are-superior-to-generative-ai/
Don’t worry. Study shows you’re likely a more creative writer than ChatGPT. For now. (2024, November 8). University of California. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/dont-worry-study-shows-youre-likely-more-creative-writer-chatgpt-now
Human and AI media content preference U.S. 2023| Statista. (2023). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1400715/human-and-ai-made-content-choice-us/
