It’s not just one thing — it’s another thing

Typically, issues usually are not only one factor — they’re additionally one other factor. This sentence development (“It’s not simply this — it’s that”) has develop into so widespread in AI-generated writing that now, it’s not only a clue that an article could also be artificial — it’s virtually a assure.

That’s why I used to be not simply intrigued once 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 typically this phrasing was utilized in company information releases, earnings reviews, and authorities filings.

In accordance with 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 12 months:

• “In 2025, AI received’t simply be a instrument; will probably 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 in addition safety compliance and cloud spending.” (Workday)
• “These techniques 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 facility, unconstrained by any single product or class.” (Satya Nadella in a Microsoft weblog publish.)
• “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 publish.)
• “Simply think about if all 8 billion individuals might summon a researcher … not simply to get info however use their experience to get issues executed that profit them.” (Nonetheless, that very same Microsoft weblog publish.)

It’s not simply coincidental that generative AI instruments use this phrase rather a lot — it’s a mirrored image of our writing, which these instruments had been educated on (with out our permission, may 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 are actually thought of a inform for AI-generated textual content.

This isn’t only a humorous pattern — it’s symbolic of how reliant these firms have develop into on AI (although we can’t say for sure if the above missives had been AI-assisted). So subsequent time you see a sentence like that, do not forget that it’s not only a catchy development — it may be a symptom of one thing higher.

“The prevalence of AI content material is rising quickly and ‘it’s not simply X, it’s Y’ is a tic most well-liked by 2025-era frontier language fashions,” Max Spero, CEO of AI detection instrument Pangram, advised Trendster. “The bottom charge of prevalence for this sentence construction is excessive sufficient that its existence isn’t any smoking gun for AI use, however it’s clear that press releases and firm paperwork, writing pushed by necessities and never emotion, are seeing a fair greater incidence of AI use.”

Up to date, 4/20/26, 6:00 PM EST, with quote from Pangram.