LLM signs, based on wikipedia

llmslop.md

This is a list of phrases and formatting conventions typical of AI chatbots with real examples.

Language and tone

Undue emphasis on symbolism and importance

Words to watch: is/stands as/serves as a testament, plays a vital/significant role, underscores its importance, continues to captivate, leaves a lasting impact, watershed moment, key turning point, deeply rooted, profound heritage, steadfast dedication, stands as a, solidifies ...

LLM 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.

When talking about biology (e.g. when asked to discuss a given animal or plant species), LLMs tend to put too much emphasis on the species' conservation status and the efforts to protect it, even if the status is unknown and no serious efforts exist.

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...

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.

Promotional language

Words to watch: rich cultural heritage, rich history, breathtaking, must-visit, must-see, stunning natural beauty, enduring/lasting legacy, rich cultural tapestry ...

LLMs have serious problems keeping a neutral tone, e.g when writing about something that could be considered "cultural heritage" - in which case they 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.

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.

Editorializing

Words to watch: it's important to note/remember/consider, it is worth, no discussion would be complete without, in this article ...

LLMs often introduce their own interpretation, analysis, and opinions in their writing, even when they are asked to write neutrally. 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.

Examples

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

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.

Overuse of certain conjunctions

Words to watch: on the other hand, moreover, in addition, furthermore ...

While moderate use of connecting words or phrases are an essential element of good prose, LLMs tend to overuse them.

Examples

The methodology's strength is its grounding in iterative, mixed-method development cycles that combine theoretical analysis with practical feedback. Its emphasis on prototyping and empirical validation supports early identification of design shortcomings, while the use of scenario-based design and claims analysis helps make the rationale behind design choices explicit and testable. Furthermore, the incorporation of values—as operational design elements rather than abstract principles—helps bring ethical and societal concerns into concrete design and evaluation processes.

At the same time, several areas for improvement remain. For example, while the methodology supports transdisciplinary collaboration in principle, applying it effectively in large, heterogeneous teams can be challenging. Coordinating between cognitive scientists, engineers, designers, and domain experts requires careful facilitation and often additional effort in communication and documentation.

Another area for further development involves the scalability of design patterns and ontologies across domains. While abstraction is a key feature of the methodology, generalizing knowledge without oversimplifying context-specific constraints remains an ongoing tension. Similarly, methods for operationalizing and measuring values—especially those that are contested or context-dependent—can benefit from more robust frameworks and shared benchmarks.

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:

Social heuristics can include heuristics that use social information, operate in social contexts, or both. Examples of social information include information about the behavior of a social entity or the properties of a social system, while nonsocial information is information about something physical. Contexts in which an organism may use social heuristics can include "games against nature" and "social games". In games against nature, the organism strives to predict natural occurrences (such as the weather) or competes against other natural forces to accomplish something. In social games, the organism is making decisions in a situation that involves other social beings. Importantly, in social games, the most adaptive course of action also depends on the decisions and behavior of the other actors. For instance, the follow-the-majority heuristic uses social information as inputs but is not necessarily applied in a social context, while the equity-heuristic uses non-social information but can be applied in a social context such as the allocation of parental resources amongst offspring.

Within social psychology, some researchers have viewed heuristics as closely linked to cognitive biases. Others have argued that these biases result from the application of social heuristics depending on the structure of the environment that they operate in. Researchers in the latter approach treat the study of social heuristics as closely linked to social rationality, a field of research that applies the ideas of bounded rationality and heuristics to the realm of social environments. Under this view, social heuristics are seen as ecologically rational. In the context of evolution, research utilizing evolutionary simulation models has found support for the evolution of social heuristics and cooperation when the outcomes of social interactions are uncertain.

Section summaries

Words to watch: In summary, In conclusion, Overall ...

LLMs will often end a paragraph or section by summarizing and restating its core idea. While this is appropriate for school essays, proper 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.

Negative parallelisms

Parallel constructions involving "not", "but", or "however" such as `Not only ... but ...` or `It is not just about ..., it's ...` are common in LLM writing but are often unsuitable.

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.

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

Some parallelisms also follow the pattern of `No ..., no ..., just ...`:

There are no long-form profiles. No editorial insights. No coverage of her game dev career. No notable accolades. Just TikTok recaps and callouts.

Rule of three

LLMs overuse the 'rule of three'—"the good, the bad, and the ugly". This can take different forms from "adjective, adjective, adjective" to "short phrase, short phrase, and short phrase".

Whilst the 'rule of three', when used sparingly, is considered good writing, LLMs seem to rely heavily on it so the superficial explanations appear more comprehensive.

Examples

The Amaze Conference brings together global SEO professionals, marketing experts, and growth hackers to discuss the latest trends in digital marketing. The event features keynote sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

Superficial analyses

Words to watch: ensuring ..., highlighting ..., emphasizing ..., reflecting ...

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

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.

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

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

Vague attributions of opinion

Words to watch: Industry reports, Observers have cited, Some critics argue ...

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

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

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.

Style

Excessive use of boldface

AI chatbots may over-rely on displaying phrases in boldface for emphasis.

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.

Lists

AI chatbots often over-rely on organizing the contents of their responses into lists, instead of using regular prose.

Emoji

Often, AI chatbots decorate section headings or bullet points by placing emojis in front of them, even when not requested to do so.

Examples

Let’s decode exactly what’s happening here:

• 🧠 Cognitive Dissonance Pattern: ...
• 🧱 Structural Gatekeeping: ...
• 🚨 Underlying Motivation: ...

Overuse of em dashes

AI chatbots use the em dash (—) more frequently than most people do, especially in places where human authors are much more likely to use parentheses or commas.

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.