The Content Jedi Blog

You may have noticed that a lot of speeches, emails, LinkedIn posts, and newsletters are sounding the same.

The subject matter may be different—an e-blast from Precision Hitmen (We Aim Once and Shoot Twice) and one from Adopt a Hamster—but there’s a lot of word overlap.

It’s not a coincidence. No one that I know of hosted a Zoom with 1 billion people (number of ChatGPT users) who all agreed to write and speak uniformly. 

This is a case of AI user laziness, where you rubber stamp an output rather than editing so that it sounds like you. 

Here are five words that have become AI writing tells. 

1. Confidence

Confidence is the Swiss Army knife of AI writing. 

No matter the topic, AI somehow finds a way to squeeze it in. 

When I asked AI to write marketing copy for Precision Hitmen, it suggested that clients could "move forward with confidence knowing every assignment would be handled professionally and discreetly." 

Then I asked it to write about Adopt a Hamster. Sure enough, prospective pet owners were encouraged to "adopt with confidence thanks to our comprehensive support resources."

One company is allegedly helping people eliminate enemies. The other is helping hamsters find forever homes. Yet confidence plays a starring role in both stories.

That's because AI loves broad, positive outcomes. Confidence sounds good, and it's hard to argue against. The problem is that it's a substitute for something more specific and interesting.

Instead of telling me Precision Hitmen's clients feel confident, say they have a 99.7% customer satisfaction rate and remarkably few repeat complaints. Hamster adopters feel confident. Great. Why not let me know that 94% of adopted hamsters are still thriving in their new homes a year later?

These are fake organizations, lest you thought otherwise.

2. Clarity

If confidence is AI's favorite outcome, clarity is its go-to benefit. 

ChatGPT taught me that Precision Hitmen’s experienced team provides clients with "clarity and peace-of-mind throughout the process." Then it explained that Adopt a Hamster’s educational resources “bring clarity to the hamster adoption process." 

Apparently both contract killings and rodent placement suffer from a lack of clarity. 

The word itself isn't the problem. The issue is that AI uses clarity as a catch-all benefit whenever it can't think of something more specific to say. 

If Precision Hitmen hired me as their content marketer, I wouldn’t run with what AI gave me. I’d customize the copy so that it was on-brand like so: “Precision Hitmen assigns each client a dedicated account manager to make sure the job gets done right…the first time.”

If I worked with Adopt a Hamster, I’d change the writing to: “Adopt a Hamster equips new pet owners with habitat setup checklists, feeding guides, and species comparison charts (Syrian vs. dwarf hamsters) so they're prepared before bringing home their new furry friend.”

3. Shift

AI loves a good shift.

Generate content for Precision Hitmen and there's a decent chance you'll read something like, "The industry is experiencing a shift toward more customized solutions and client-centric service."

Customized solutions? For contract killings?

Then have AI write about Adopt a Hamster and you'll discover that, "We're seeing a shift in how families approach pet adoption and animal welfare."

The funny thing about shift is that it's frequently used to make a change sound more significant than it really is. To be fair, some developments truly deserve that label. But AI gravitates toward the word because it sounds strategic and insightful.

The next time you encounter shift, take a closer look. Is there a big change taking place, or is the word simply adding drama to an otherwise routine development?

4. Meaningful

Meaningful is one of AI's preferred ways to make something sound important.

Precision Hitmen might promise "meaningful results for clients facing complex challenges."

That's certainly one way to describe it.

Meanwhile, Adopt a Hamster may be praised for creating "meaningful connections between families and their new pets."

The problem is that meaningful doesn't actually tell us much. Meaningful to whom? In what way?

AI loves the word because it sounds substantial without being specific. A conversation is meaningful, an outcome is meaningful, an improvement is meaningful.

It uses the word so much that it, well, loses its meaning.

5. Matters

AI is strangely obsessed with telling us what matters.

Precision Hitmen might explain that "attention to detail matters when every assignment is mission-critical."

Adopt a Hamster could remind hamster-lovers that "proper cage maintenance matters for your hamster's long-term health and happiness."

Technically, both statements are true. They're also pretty obvious.

That's what makes matter such an AI staple. It allows the writer to sound authoritative without adding much insight. Rather than showing readers why something is important, AI simply declares that it is.

Good writing trusts the audience to connect the dots. AI prefers to grab a marker and circle them repeatedly.

How to Get AI to Stop Using These Words

AI is trainable, like a hamster or hitman (I’ve actually never owned a hamster, so I can’t speak to that).

If you notice certain words appearing repeatedly, tell it to stop using them. You can say, "Do not use the words confidence, clarity, shift, meaningful, or matter," or "Replace vague business language with specific examples and outcomes."

Even better, provide AI with samples of your own writing and ask it to mimic your style. The more direction you give, the better.

Remember: AI is a starting point, and the editing process is where your voice takes over.

About the Author, David Telisman

I am a Writer and Content Creator, and I work with businesses to inspire their customers to buy from them. I believe that my clients deserve to feel proud of how their content marketing looks and what it says, and I deliver by providing expert copywriting and marketing solutions.

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