Are You Talking to a Bot? How to Tell When AI Is Finally Here: 7 Signs!
From fake promoters to hidden agendas, AI bots are getting better at pretending to be human. Here’s how to recognize their patterns, break their scripts, and stay firmly in control of the conversation.
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I remember the days when building a simple bot on MSN Messenger was a fun little experiment. Back in 2002, I created one that could hold conversations with my friends, asking about their day, referencing past topics, even reminding them of upcoming exams or movie plans. And while they were engaged with my bot, I’d go to their houses and ring the doorbell. Boom, I loved seeing the confusion on their faces every time it happened.
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Some thought my account had been hacked because they couldn't tell it was a bot. It was rudimentary by today’s standards, but effective.
Now, as a medical doctor, software developer, and head of our local AI club, I see how far we've come, and how dangerous some of these tools have become. Lately, since publishing my book, I’ve been receiving strange messages from accounts claiming to help promote it through various platforms. They start off sounding human, engaging, even empathetic. But once you dig deeper, probe emotionally, or try to build a meaningful dialogue, the cracks appear.
Hazem Abbas
These aren’t just simple bots anymore, many are powered by sophisticated AI, designed not for connection, but conversion. Their creators often have selfish motives: subscriptions, purchases, or worse (blackmail). I’ve tested dozens of them using tactics I developed during my early bot-building days and even while running psychological tests against support AIs. Most fall apart under pressure.
Hazem Abbas
So, how do you spot an AI-powered bot today?
Here are 7 signs:
1- They repeat themselves or avoid direct answers
When asked a question that requires context or specificity, bots often circle back to generic phrases or rephrase your own words without offering new insight.
Recognize the pattern and it raise the flags, all of them, yellow, orange, and of-course RED!
2- Emotional depth is missing
Even if the language sounds empathetic, there's no real emotional follow-through.
They can mimic concern, but can't sustain it when challenged or confronted with a personal story that demands emotional intelligence.
Try include a certain detail about yourself, and ask for advice, or opinion, try to build a construct for the problem, especially emotional ones, and the bot will fail to understand your motive, unlike real humans do.
Hazem Abbas
3- They pivot to promotion quickly
The conversation starts personal or supportive, but soon steers toward selling something, recommending a service, or urging you to sign up, sometimes subtly, sometimes aggressively.
They designed for simple goals, subscribe, buy, connect, or expose yourself (dangerous), so they have short circuits, unlike humans.
4- They ignore or skip over complex questions
If you ask something nuanced or layered, especially something tied to your previous messages, bots tend to either ignore it or respond with unrelated content. They lack memory and coherence beyond a few lines.
Make a complex questions or build a complicated problem with different unliked text, bots and AI are not good yet to understand and respond to that!
5- Responses feel scripted, not spontaneous
Bots may use correct grammar and vocabulary, but their tone feels rehearsed. There's no hesitation, no curiosity, no genuine surprise or laughter, just smooth delivery of pre-fed patterns.
Take a step back, re-read all responses and evaluate, ya that's it!
6- They don’t engage in real-time thinking
Ask them to solve a small logic puzzle, or create something original like a short poem based on your life, and watch them stumble. Real humans improvise; bots regurgitate.
They do not actually brainstorm with you, especially emotional-based conversation.
7- Their persona doesn't evolve
Humans change slightly over time, humor, interests, even opinions shift. Bots stay static. If you talk to the same account over weeks and notice no evolution in personality or knowledge, it's likely artificial.
Artificial persona is easy to spot, and sometimes you have to spot it fast before it takes your time, or something else.
As someone who has walked both sides of this digital mirror, as a creator of bots ,automation master and now as a guardian of authentic human interaction, I urge everyone to be and stay vigilant. AI is powerful, yes, but it’s also being weaponized. Not all bots are harmful, but many are designed to manipulate.
If you ever feel unsure, test the waters. Ask for something personal, unexpected, or emotionally layered. If the response lacks warmth, nuance, or spontaneity, you're probably talking to a machine.
Stay sharp. Stay human.
