STE80 Humanizer: Improving AI Text Clarity with Simplified Technical English

The STE80 Humanizer is a tool designed to strip away the characteristic patterns of AI-generated text, transforming it into clear, readable prose. By combining a systematic removal of AI-specific stylistic markers with a structural rewrite based on 80% of the ASD-STE100 (Simplified Technical English) specification, the tool aims to improve readability without sacrificing the original meaning or factual accuracy.

The Two-Pass Approach to Humanization

Most AI-text removers focus solely on deleting filler phrases, which often leaves behind long, complex sentences that still feel unnatural. The STE80 Humanizer employs a two-pass process to address both surface-level "tells" and deeper structural issues:

  1. Pass 1 (AI Tells): The tool identifies and removes 26 common markers of AI writing, such as "not just X but Y" constructions, forced triads, excessive dashes, and chatbot-style conversational openers. This pass is based on the catalog of AI writing signs documented by the WikiProject AI Cleanup.
  2. Pass 2 (STE80 Structure): The tool restructures the remaining text to align with a relaxed version of the ASD-STE100 standard. This involves enforcing active voice, simple tenses, and a one-idea-per-sentence rule, which significantly improves the clarity of technical documentation.

Adapting ASD-STE100 for General Use

ASD-STE100 is a controlled language originally developed for aerospace maintenance manuals to ensure safety and clarity for non-native speakers. While the full standard is highly restrictive—banning common words like "may" or "should" and limiting vocabulary to roughly 900 words—the "80%" approach used here balances readability with natural expression.

At the 80% level, the tool maintains the core structural benefits of the standard—such as short sentences and active voice—while allowing for more natural vocabulary, the use of contractions, and the inclusion of modal verbs when necessary for accuracy. This makes the output suitable for general technical writing rather than just strict maintenance procedures.

Implementation and Usage

The tool is designed as an agent skill, compatible with various AI coding assistants via the skills.sh framework. It can be installed globally or locally to integrate with environments like Claude Code, Cursor, and other agentic workflows.

Users can invoke the tool with specific commands to control the intensity of the rewrite:

  • Humanize (Default): Applies Pass 1 and Pass 2 at 80% intensity, preserving the user's original voice.
  • Light: Focuses on removing the most egregious AI markers and only the most complex sentences.
  • Strict STE: Applies full, 100% compliance with STE rules, ideal for safety-critical documentation or formal procedures.

Fidelity and Evaluation

A key focus of the STE80 Humanizer is maintaining factual fidelity. Unlike standard prompting, which may lead to hallucinations or the alteration of data points during a rewrite, the tool is designed to preserve specific values and contradictions present in the source text. Internal evaluations suggest that while base models can mimic the STE style when prompted, the tool provides a more consistent framework for ensuring that facts remain unchanged during the editing process.

Community Feedback and Alternatives

Discussion surrounding the tool has highlighted alternative approaches to technical writing and style. Some users have pointed toward ISO 24495-1 as a modern standard for plain language in technical documentation. Others have suggested exploring resources like tropes.fyi for identifying and mitigating repetitive writing patterns. The tool remains an evolving project, with its source code and documentation available on GitHub under an MIT license.

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