Generally, issues are usually not only one factor — they’re additionally one other factor. This sentence development (“It’s not simply this — it’s that”) has change into so widespread in AI-generated writing that now, it’s not only a clue that an article could also be artificial — it’s nearly a assure.
That’s why, I used to be not simply intrigued after I noticed a Barron’s report about how this sentence development has dramatically elevated in company communications — I used to be deeply amused. The report didn’t simply comment on the prevalence of this phrasing in company communications — it scanned the market intelligence agency AlphaSense’s database to seek out how usually this phrasing was utilized in company information releases, earnings experiences, and authorities filings.
In response to Barron’s, this sentence development isn’t only a quirk of company communications — it’s an epidemic, greater than quadrupling from about 50 mentions in 2023, to over 200 makes use of in 2025.
It’s not simply the information that tells us this — I additionally discovered some examples from the previous yr:
- “In 2025, AI received’t simply be a instrument; it is going to be a collaborator.” (Cisco)
- “The way forward for autonomy isn’t simply on the horizon; it’s already unfolding.” (Accenture)
- “DevOps groups are managing not simply deployments, but additionally safety compliance and cloud spending.” (Workday)
- “These methods aren’t simply executing duties; they’re beginning to study, adapt, and collaborate.” (McKinsey)
- “When Invoice based Microsoft, he envisioned not only a software program firm, however a software program manufacturing unit, unconstrained by any single product or class.” (Satya Nadella in a Microsoft weblog submit)
- “It’s not nearly constructing instruments for particular roles or duties. It’s about constructing instruments that empower everybody to create their very own instruments.” (The identical Microsoft weblog submit.)
- “Simply think about if all 8 billion individuals might summon a researcher … not simply to get data however use their experience to get issues performed that profit them.” (Nonetheless, that very same Microsoft weblog submit.)
It’s not simply coincidental that generative AI instruments use this phrase loads — it’s a mirrored image of our writing, which these instruments have been educated on (with out our permission, would possibly I add, which isn’t simply insulting to writers — it’s a violation). And it’s not simply this sentence development — it’s additionally em-dashes that at the moment are thought-about a inform for AI-generated textual content.
This isn’t only a humorous pattern — it’s symbolic of how reliant these firms have change into on AI (although we can not say for sure if the above missives have been AI-assisted). So subsequent time you see a sentence like that, keep in mind that it’s not only a catchy development — it is perhaps a symptom of one thing higher.
