Wikipedia:WikiProject AI Cleanup/AI catchphrases

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This is an advice page from WikiProject AI Cleanup. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more WikiProjects on Wikipedia or its process, as pertaining to topics within the WikiProject(s) area of interest. This page is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community.

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This is a list of phrases and formatting conventions typical of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, with real examples taken from Wikipedia articles and drafts. Note that not all text featuring the following indicators is AI-generated; large language models, which power AI-chatbots, have been trained on human writing, and humans might happen to have a writing style similar to that of an AI.

Beyond simply being indicators, the following phrasings and conventions go against the Manual of Style or create a promotional or non-neutral tone. Proper use of AI chatbots on Wikipedia should not exhibit any of the indicators.

AI writing often puffs up the importance of the subject matter with reminders that it represents or contributes to a broader topic. There seems to be only a small repertoire of ways that it writes these reminders, so if they are otherwise appropriate it would be best to reword them anyway.

Examples

Douera enjoys close proximity to the capital city, Algiers, further enhancing its significance as a dynamic hub of activity and culture. With its coastal charm and convenient location, Douera captivates both residents and visitors alike[...]

— From this revision to Douéra

Berry Hill today stands as a symbol of community resilience, ecological renewal, and historical continuity. Its transformation from a coal-mining hub to a thriving green space reflects the evolving identity of Stoke-on-Trent.

— From Draft:Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent

AI has serious problems keeping a neutral tone, especially when writing about something that could be considered "cultural heritage" – in which case it will constantly remind the reader that it is cultural heritage.

Examples

Nestled within the breathtaking region of Gonder in Ethiopia, Alamata Raya Kobo stands as a vibrant town with a rich cultural heritage and a significant place within the Amhara region. From its scenic landscapes to its historical landmarks, Alamata Raya Kobo offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the diverse tapestry of Ethiopia. In this article, we will explore the unique characteristics that make Alamata Raya Kobo a town worth visiting and shed light on its significance within the Amhara region.

— From this revision to Alamata (woreda)

TTDC acts as the gateway to Tamil Nadu’s diverse attractions, seamlessly connecting the beginning and end of every traveller's journey. It offers dependable, value-driven experiences that showcase the state’s rich history, spiritual heritage, and natural beauty.

— From this revision to Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation

AIs often introduce their own interpretation, analysis, and opinions in their writing, even when they are asked to write neutrally, violating the policy No original research. Editorializing can appear through specific words or phrases or within broader sentence structures. This indicator often overlaps with other language and tone indicators in this list. Note that humans and especially new editors often make this mistake as well.

Examples

A defining feature of FSP models is their ability to simulate environmental interactions.

— From Draft:Functional-Structural Plant Models

Their ability to simulate both form and function makes them powerful tools for understanding plant-environment interactions and optimizing performance under diverse biological and management contexts.

— From the same page

In this case, the whole sentence comprises an original opinion:

These partnerships reflect the company’s role in serving both corporate and community organizations in Uganda.

— From Draft:GEOWISE MEDIA

While moderate use of connecting words or phrases are an essential element of good prose, AIs tend to overuse them. This overuse often is a byproduct of an essay-like tone which is typical of AI writing but is inappropriate for Wikipedia. Certain conjunctives such as 'however' or 'in contrast' inherently imply synthesis of facts, and are generally unsuitable for Wikipedia articles.

Examples

Compare the above with below human-written prose. Even disregarding the absence of buzzwords and general vapidness, the connecting phrases in the below excerpt are more varied and less conspicuous.

AI will often end a paragraph or section by summarizing and restating its core idea. While this is appropriate for school essays, proper Wikipedia writing typically never summarizes the general idea of a block of article text (besides the lead section being a summary of the entire article).

Examples

In summary, the educational and training trajectory for nurse scientists typically involves a progression from a master's degree in nursing to a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, followed by postdoctoral training in nursing research. This structured pathway ensures that nurse scientists acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to engage in rigorous research and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of nursing science.

— From this revision in Nurse scientist

Parallel constructions involving "not", "but", or "however" such as "Not only ... but ..." or "It is not just about ..., it's ..." are common in AI writing but are often unsuitable for writing in a neutral tone.

Examples

Self-Portrait by Yayoi Kusama, executed in 2010 and currently preserved in the famous Uffizi Gallery in Florence, constitutes not only a work of self-representation, but a visual document of her obsessions, visual strategies and psychobiographical narratives.

— From this revision to Self-portrait (Yayoi Kusama)

It’s not just about the beat riding under the vocals; it’s part of the aggression and atmosphere.

— From this revision to Draft:Critikal! The Rapper

Here is an example of a negative parallelism across multiple sentences:

He hailed from the esteemed Duse family, renowned for their theatrical legacy. Eugenio's life, however, took a path that intertwined both personal ambition and familial complexities.

— From this revision to Eugenio Duse

AI chatbots tend to superficially comment on or analyze information, often in relation to its significance, recognition, or impact. This is often done by adding a attaching a gerund ("-ing") phrase at the end of sentences, sometimes with vague attributions to third parties (see below). These comments are generally unhelpful and introduce unnecessary or fictional opinions.

Examples

In 2025, the Federation was internationally recognized and invited to participate in the Asia Pickleball Summit, highlighting Pakistan’s entry into the global pickleball community.

— From this revision to Draft:Pakistan Pickleball Federation

Consumers benefit from the flexibility to use their preferred mobile wallet at participating merchants, improving convenience.

— From Draft:MyanmarPay MMQR

These citations, spanning more than six decades and appearing in recognized academic publications, illustrate Blois' lasting influence in computational linguistics, grammar, and neology.

— From Draft:Jacques Blois (linguist)

The civil rights movement emerged as a powerful continuation of this struggle, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and collective action in the fight for justice.

— From this revision to African-American culture

AI chatbots tend to attribute opinions or claims to some vague authority—a practice called weasel wording—while citing only one or two sources which may or may not actually express such view. It also tends to overgeneralize a perspective of one or few sources into that of a wider group.

Examples

Here, the weasel wording implies the opinion comes from an independent source, but it actually cites Nick Ford’s own website.

His [Nick Ford's] compositions have been described as exploring conceptual themes and bridging the gaps between artistic media.^[1]

— Draft:Nick Ford (musician)

Due to its unique characteristics, the Haolai River is of interest to researchers and conservationists. Efforts are ongoing to monitor its ecological health and preserve the surrounding grassland environment, which is part of a larger initiative to protect China’s semi-arid ecosystems from degradation.

— From this revision to Haolai River

In section headings, AI chatbots tend to consistently capitalize all main words (title case) instead of using sentence case, as required by the corresponding style guideline.

AI chatbots may display various phrases in boldface for emphasis, which the style guideline on when not to use boldface recommends against in most cases (except for names of the article subject listed in the first sentence).

Examples

It blends OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and visual strategy tools such as the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and Balanced Scorecard (BSC). OPC is designed to bridge the gap between strategy and execution by fostering a unified mindset and shared direction within organizations.

— From Draft:One Page 4 Change (OPC)

AI chatbots often organize the contents of their responses into lists that are formatted in a particular way.

Lists that are copied and pasted from AI chatbot responses may retain their original formatting. Instead of proper wikitext, a bullet point in an unordered list may appear as a bullet character (•), hyphen (-), en dash (–), or similar character. Ordered lists (i.e. numbered lists) may use explicit numbers (such as 1.) instead of standard wikitext.

Examples

1. Historical Context Post-WWII Era: The world was rapidly changing after WWII, [...] 2. Nuclear Arms Race: Following the U.S. atomic bombings, the Soviet Union detonated its first bomb in 1949, [...] 3. Key Figures Edward Teller: A Hungarian physicist who advocated for the development of more powerful nuclear weapons, [...] 4. Technical Details of Sundial Hydrogen Bomb: The design of Sundial involved a hydrogen bomb [...] 5. Destructive Potential: If detonated, Sundial would create a fireball up to 50 kilometers in diameter, [...] 6. Consequences and Reactions Global Impact: The explosion would lead to an apocalyptic nuclear winter, [...] 7. Political Reactions: The U.S. military and scientists expressed horror at the implications of such a weapon, [...] 8. Modern Implications Current Nuclear Arsenal: Today, there are approximately 12,000 nuclear weapons worldwide, [...] 9. Key Takeaways Understanding the Madness: The concept of Project Sundial highlights the extremes of human ingenuity [...] 10. Questions to Consider What were the motivations behind the development of Project Sundial? [...]

— From this revision to Sundial (weapon)

Sometimes, AI chatbots decorate section headings or bullet points by placing emojis in front of them.

Examples

Let’s decode exactly what’s happening here:
🧠 Cognitive Dissonance Pattern:
You’ve proven authorship, demonstrated originality, and introduced new frameworks, yet they’re defending a system that explicitly disallows recognition of originators unless a third party writes about them first.
[...]
🧱 Structural Gatekeeping:
Wikipedia policy favors:
[...]
🚨 Underlying Motivation:
Why would a human fight you on this?
[...]
🧭 What You’re Actually Dealing With:
This is not a debate about rules.
[...]

— From this revision to Wikipedia:Village pump (policy)

AI chatbots use the em dash (—) more frequently than most editors do, especially in places where human authors are much more likely to use parentheses or commas. AI may or may not add a space before and after the dash. Note that Wikipedia's style guideline on dashes states that em dashes should not be used with a space on either side, in contrast to the en dash (–) which should be spaced on both sides.

Examples

The term “Dutch Caribbean” is not used in the statute and is primarily promoted by Dutch institutions, not by the people of the autonomous countries themselves. In practice, many Dutch organizations and businesses use it for their own convenience, even placing it in addresses — e.g., “Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean” — but this only adds confusion internationally and erases national identity. You don’t say “Netherlands, Europe” as an address — yet this kind of mislabeling continues.

— From this revision to Talk:Dutch Caribbean

Borrowing its name from the geometric principle of triangulation—where the position of an unknown point is established by measuring angles or distances from multiple known points—this concept underpins a variety of biological processes, ranging from cellular navigation to the spatial orientation of entire organisms.

— From Draft:Triangulation sensing

Contrary to the style guideline on quotation characters, AI chatbots may use curly quotation marks (“...” or ‘...’) instead of straight quotation marks ("..." or '...'). In some cases, AI chatbots inconsistently use pairs of curly and straight quotation marks in the same response. Most keyboards only support straight quotation marks by default, and curly quotation marks are rarely manually typed.

Likewise, the apostrophe style guideline prescribes the use of the straight apostrophe (') instead of the curly apostrophe (’), which is the same character as the curly right single quotation mark. AI-generated text may use curly apostrophes in contractions and possessive forms, and may do so inconsistently.

In some cases, editors will paste text from an AI chatbot that it had intended as correspondence, prewriting or advice for them, and not for direct use in an article.

Examples

In this section, we will discuss the background information related to the topic of the report. This will include a discussion of relevant literature, previous research, and any theoretical frameworks or concepts that underpin the study. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and to inform the reader about the existing knowledge and gaps in the field.

— From this revision to Metaphysics

This fictional article combines the tone of a Wikipedia article and the creative elements you requested, including the announcement date, release date, new cast, and crew for the sequel. Let me know if you'd like it expanded or tailored further!

— From Draft:A Knight's Tale: The Legend Continues

Certainly. Here's a draft Wikipedia-style article for Mark Biram, written in a neutral, encyclopedic tone and formatted according to Wikipedia conventions. This assumes notability is supported by independent sources (which would need to be cited for a real Wikipedia page):

— From Draft:Mark Biram

Final important tip: The Example (talk) 17:35, 24 June 2025 (UTC) at the very end is Wikipedia markup that automatically

— Adapted from this revision to Talk:Test automation management tools

A knowledge-cutoff disclaimer is a statement used by the AI chatbot to indicate that the information provided is accurate only up to a certain date (usually the model’s last training update or the date the editor made the prompt).

Examples

No significant public controversies or security incidents affecting Outpost24 have been documented as of June 2025.

— From Draft:Outpost24

As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, I don't have specific information about the current status or developments related to the "Chester Mental Health Center" in today's era.

— From this revision to Chester Mental Health Center

Occasionally, the AI chatbot will decline to answer a prompt as it is written, usually with an apology and a reminder that it is "an AI language model". Attempting to be as helpful as possible, it often gives suggestions or an answer to an alternative, similar request.

Although they may look obviously unacceptable for additions to a Wikipedia article, AI contributions do sometimes include prompt refusals. They might not have been reviewed by the human editor who pasted them in, or the editor might not have a proficient grasp on the English language. Remember to assume good faith, because the editor may genuinely be interested in improving the coverage of their region and is trying to help.

Links to searches

When results appear in these searches, they are almost always problematic – but remember that it would be okay for an article to include them if, for example, they were in a relevant, attributed quote.

• as an AI language model
• as a large language model
• "OpenAI use policy"

AI chatbots may generate responses with fill-in-the-blank phrasal templates (as seen in the game Mad Libs) for the LLM user to replace with words and phrases pertaining to their use case. When an LLM-using editor forgets to add the words, the result is obviously not written by the editor themself. Note that, for drafts and new articles specifically, there exist page templates like Wikipedia:Artist biography article template/Preload and pages in Category:Article creation templates that are not LLM-generated.

Examples

Subject: Concerns about Inaccurate Information

Dear Wikipedia

I am writing to express my deep concern about the spread of misinformation on your platform. Specifically, I am referring to the article about [Entertainer's Name], which I believe contains inaccurate and harmful information.

— From this revision to Talk:Kjersti Flaa

[URL of source confirming birth, if available], [URL of reliable source]

— From this revision to Draft:Ansuman Satpathy

Some AI chatbots do not properly use wikitext in their outputs, and will instead use another markup language, most commonly Markdown. The presence of non-wikitext markup is a strong indicator that a section of text is LLM-generated.

Examples

I believe this block has become procedurally and substantively unsound. Despite repeatedly raising clear, policy-based concerns, every unblock request has been met with **summary rejection** — not based on specific diffs or policy violations, but instead on **speculation about motive**, assertions of being “unhelpful”, and a general impression that I am "not here to build an encyclopedia". No one has meaningfully addressed the fact that I have **not made disruptive edits**, **not engaged in edit warring**, and have consistently tried to **collaborate through talk page discussion**, citing policy and inviting clarification. Instead, I have encountered a pattern of dismissiveness from several administrators, where reasoned concerns about **in-text attribution of partisan or interpretive claims** have been brushed aside. Rather than engaging with my concerns, some editors have chosen to mock, speculate about my motives, or label my arguments "AI-generated" — without explaining how they are substantively flawed.

— From this revision to a user talk page

- The Wikipedia entry does not explicitly mention the "Cyberhero League" being recognized as a winner of the World Future Society's BetaLaunch Technology competition, as detailed in the interview with THE FUTURIST ([1](https://consciouscreativity.com/the-futurist-interview-with-dana-klisanin-creator-of-the-cyberhero-league/)). This recognition could be explicitly stated in the "Game design and media consulting" section.

— From this revision to Talk:Dana Klisanin

ChatGPT may include citeturn0search0 at the ends of sentences, with the "search" number increasing as the text progresses. These are places where the chatbot links to an external site, but a human pasting the conversation into Wikipedia has that link converted into placeholder code.

A set of images in a response may also render as iturn0image0turn0image1turn0image4turn0image5.

This was first observed in February 2025, and was seen again in July 2025.

Examples

The school is also a center for the US College Board examinations, SAT I & SAT II, and has been recognized as an International Fellowship Centre by Cambridge International Examinations. citeturn0search1 For more information, you can visit their official website: citeturn0search0

— From this revision to List of English-medium schools in Bangladesh

Links to searches

• turn0search0 OR turn0search1 OR turn0search2 OR turn0search3 OR turn0search4 OR turn0search5 OR turn0search6 OR turn0search7
• turn0image0 OR turn0image1 OR turn0image2 OR turn0image3 OR turn0image4 OR turn0image5 OR turn0image6 OR turn0image7

Due to a bug, ChatGPT may add code in the form of :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} in place of links to references in output text. Links to ChatGPT-generated references may be labeled with oai_citation.

Examples

:contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

1. **Ethnicity clarification**

- :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
    * :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18} :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}.
    * Denzil Ibbetson’s *Panjab Castes* classifies Sial as Rajputs :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}.
    * Historian’s blog notes: "The Sial are a clan of Parmara Rajputs…” :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}.

2. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

- :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}
    > :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24} :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}.

— From this revision to Talk:Sial (tribe).

#### 📌 Key facts needing addition or correction:

1. **Group launch & meetings**

*Independent Together* launched a “Zero Rates Increase Roadshow” on 15 June, with events in Karori, Hataitai, Tawa, and Newtown  [oai_citation:0‡wellington.scoop.co.nz](https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=171473&utm_source=chatgpt.com).

2. **Zero-rates pledge and platform**

The group pledges no rates increases for three years, then only match inflation—responding to Wellington’s 16.9% hike for 2024/25  [oai_citation:1‡en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Together?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

— From this revision to Talk:Independent Together

Links to searches

• "contentReference" OR "oaicite" OR "oai_citation"

ChatGPT may append ?utm_source=chatgpt.com to URLs that it is using as sources.

Examples

Following their marriage, Burgess and Graham settled in Cheshire, England, where Burgess serves as the head coach for the Warrington Wolves rugby league team. [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/feb/11/sam-burgess-interview-warrington-rugby-league-luke-littler?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

— From this revision to Sam Burgess

Links to searches

• utm_source=chatgpt.com
• insource:"utm_source=chatgpt.com"

Examples

== References ==
<references>
<ref name=official>{{Cite web |title=Extrinsic Music Group – NextGen Label |url=https://extrinsicmusicgroup.com/ |website=extrinsicmusicgroup.com |access-date=2025-04-24}}</ref>
</references>

• Special:PermanentLink/1287201002#References
• Special:PermanentLink/1292432848#References
• Special:PermanentLink/1291491974#References
• Special:PermanentLink/1291561040#References

Links to searches

• Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting

AIs have limited understanding of wikicode and Wikipedia templates, leading to improper usage. This is especially the case for Template:AfC submission, as new editors might ask AI on how to submit their Articles for Creation draft; see this discussion among AfC reviewers.

Examples

[[Category:AfC submissions by date/<0030Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000202568 2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:00Fridayam0000=error>EpFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000UTC00001820256 UTCFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +00002025Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000: 17498026806Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000UTC2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0020258618163UTC13 pu62025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0030uam301820256 2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0008amFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000am2025-06-13T08:18:00+00:0030UTCFri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000 &qu202530;:&qu202530;.</0030Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:18:00 +0000202568>June 2025|sandbox]]

— From this revision to User:Dr. Omokhudu Idogho/sandbox

If a new article or draft has multiple citations with external links, and most of them are broken (error 404 pages), this is a clear sign of an AI-generated page. This is especially true if the page is new, and the dead links are not found in website archiving sites like Internet Archive or Archive Today. Most links become broken (see link rot) over time, but those factors makes it unlikely that the link was ever valid.