diff --git a/aider/watch.py b/aider/watch.py
index 735986ed8..c17d3e0c3 100644
--- a/aider/watch.py
+++ b/aider/watch.py
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ import threading
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
-from grep_ast import TreeContext
 from pathspec import PathSpec
 from pathspec.patterns import GitWildMatchPattern
 from watchfiles import watch
+from grep_ast import TreeContext
+
 
 from aider.dump import dump  # noqa
 
@@ -65,7 +66,8 @@ class FileWatcher:
     """Watches source files for changes and AI comments"""
 
     # Compiled regex pattern for AI comments
-    ai_comment_pattern = re.compile(r"(?:#|//) *.*\bai!? *$", re.IGNORECASE)
+    ai_comment_pattern = re.compile(r"(?:#|//) *(ai\b.*|ai|.*\bai!?)", re.IGNORECASE)
+
 
     def __init__(self, coder, gitignores=None, verbose=False):
         self.coder = coder