The Ubiquitous AI Rhetorical Device That's Driving Readers Mad
If you have never watched Jim Carrey's 2007 psychological thriller The Number 23, consider yourself fortunate. The film depicts a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23 after encountering it repeatedly, ultimately descending into madness. Once dismissed as absurd, this narrative now feels eerily familiar to many, as a similar phenomenon unfolds in the digital realm.
A Personal Obsession with a Pervasive Phrase
My own version of the number 23 is the rhetorical construction: "It's not X, it's Y." This phrase has infiltrated every corner of online content, from social media feeds to fitness classes. Scrolling through Facebook's algorithmically curated posts, I am bombarded with statements like: "Self-improvement isn't a trend, it's a lifestyle shift," and "The small wins aren't just moments, they're the majority of your life." Once noticed, it becomes impossible to ignore, seeping into subconscious thoughts and daily observations.
During a Peloton session over the weekend, an instructor echoed this pattern, barking a variation of the phrase. Similarly, a character in a television show I reviewed employed it, prompting me to deduct a star from my rating in frustration. The source of this linguistic plague is unmistakable: artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT.
ChatGPT's Insidious Tell and Its Impact
"It's not X, it's Y" has emerged as a hallmark of AI-generated text, a telltale sign of lazy, automated writing. No matter how innocuous the prompt, ChatGPT invariably finds a way to incorporate this structure. For instance, when asked about adding ham to pasta, it might respond: "Ham doesn't just taste good – it makes everything else taste better." Inquire about chasing bees, and it could say: "Bees aren't stupid – they're hyper-specialised."
This shorthand has become so synonymous with AI slop that encountering it triggers immediate suspicion. I instinctively tense up, assuming I am engaging with a datacentre rather than a human. While some instances may be organic, the prevalence erodes trust, making it difficult to relax and assume content is human-crafted. Even classic media, like Don Draper's pitch in Mad Men—"It's not a timepiece, it's a conversation piece"—now feels tainted, as if vomited out by a chatbot.
Other Linguistic Gimmicks and Personal Struggles
ChatGPT employs additional stylistic quirks, such as vague intensifiers like "quietly powerful" or "deeply transformative," which should raise red flags. It also overuses em-dashes, though I defend my own reliance on them fiercely. However, nothing haunts me quite like "it's not X, it's Y." This hypervigilance has seeped into my subconscious, leading to absurd internal monologues: "This isn't a cup of tea, it's a precious respite." or "That isn't a window, it's a portal to a new way of thinking."
Now, when I write, I expend considerable energy avoiding this construction to prove my humanity. Ironically, I used it earlier in this piece, highlighting the challenge. This determination to demonstrate I am not AI might require extreme measures—perhaps free-associating columns or providing saliva samples. The struggle is real and exhausting.
The Future of AI Writing and Lingering Concerns
Hopefully, this phase will not last forever. AI evolves rapidly, and "it's not X, it's Y" may soon become obsolete, replaced by a new, more subtle quirk. If not, I grant permission for my own confinement for safety, with the ironic assurance: "This isn't incarceration, it's a quiet reset." Until then, the battle to distinguish human creativity from machine-generated content rages on, leaving readers and writers alike in a state of heightened alert.
