It’s not just one thing — it’s another thing
This sentence construction ("It's not just this — it's that") has become so common in AI-generated writing that it's no longer just a clue that a piece of writing may be synthetic — it's almost a guarantee.
Sometimes, things are not just one thing — they’re also another thing. This sentence construction (“It’s not just this — it’s that”) has become so common in AI-generated writing that now, it’s no longer just a clue that a piece of writing may be synthetic — it’s almost a guarantee.
That’s why, I was not just intrigued when I saw a Barron’s report about how this sentence construction has dramatically increased in corporate communications — I was deeply amused. The report didn’t just remark on the prevalence of this phrasing in corporate communications — it scanned the market intelligence firm AlphaSense’s database to find how often this phrasing was used in corporate news releases, earnings reports, and government filings.
According to Barron’s, this sentence construction isn’t just a quirk of corporate communications — it’s an epidemic, more than quadrupling from about 50 mentions in 2023, to over 200 uses in 2025.
It’s not just the data that tells us this — I also found some examples from the past year:
“In 2025, AI won’t just be a tool; it will be a collaborator.” ( Cisco )
“The future of autonomy isn’t just on the horizon; it’s already unfolding.” ( Accenture )
“DevOps teams are managing not just deployments, but also security compliance and cloud spending.” ( Workday )
“These systems aren’t just executing tasks; they’re starting to learn, adapt, and collaborate.” ( McKinsey )
“When Bill founded Microsoft, he envisioned not just a software company, but a software factory, unconstrained by any single product or category.” (Satya Nadella in a Microsoft blog post)
“It’s not just about building tools for specific roles or tasks. It’s about building tools that empower everyone to create their own tools.” (The same Microsoft blog post.)
“Just imagine if all 8 billion people could summon a researcher … not just to get information but use their expertise to get things done that benefit them.” (Still, that same Microsoft blog post.)
It’s not just coincidental that generative AI tools use this phrase a lot — it’s a reflection of our writing, which these tools were trained on (without our permission, might I add, which is not just insulting to writers — it’s a violation). And it’s not just this sentence construction — it’s also em-dashes that are now considered a tell for AI-generated text.
This isn’t just a funny trend — it’s symbolic of how reliant these companies have become on AI (though we cannot say for certain if the above missives were AI-assisted). So next time you see a sentence like that, remember that it’s not just a catchy construction — it might be a symptom of something greater.
Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.
You can contact or verify outreach from Amanda by emailing amanda@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at @amanda.100 on Signal.
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Key takeaways
- Standardization in corporate communication may impact brand authenticity.
- Reliance on AI raises ethical questions about the use of data without consent.
- Brazilian startups have the opportunity to create AI solutions that promote personalized communication.
Editorial analysis
The increasing adoption of common phrasing in AI-generated texts, as highlighted in the Barron’s report, reflects a significant shift in how companies communicate. For the Brazilian tech sector, this may indicate a trend towards standardization in corporate communication, where originality and authenticity could be sacrificed in favor of language that resonates with AI algorithms. This homogenization could impact public perception of brands, leading to a disconnect between companies and their consumers.
Moreover, the growing reliance on AI tools for content production raises ethical and legal questions, especially regarding the use of data without consent. In Brazil, where the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) already establishes strict guidelines on the use of personal data, companies need to be mindful of how these tools are implemented and what data is being used to train AI models. The use of clichéd phrases can be seen as a reflection of a lack of creativity, but it can also be interpreted as a sign that companies feel pressured to adopt language that aligns with market expectations.
What to watch for next is how this trend may evolve. As more companies adopt AI for their communications, it will be interesting to see if new guidelines or best practices emerge to ensure that communication remains authentic and engaging. Additionally, Brazilian startups developing their own AI solutions may benefit from focusing on creating tools that promote more personalized communication and are less reliant on predefined patterns. The challenge will be to balance the efficiency provided by AI with the need to maintain a unique and differentiated voice in the market.
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Original source:
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