"Why this matters."
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"Why this matters." As a cybersecurity journalist who receives a ton of pitches from PR folks, and who regularly and happily combs through research reports and blogs, I'm seeing the increasing use of "why this matters" as a phrase or subhead in written material. Also further afield in LinkedIn posts and even crowdsourced product reviews. (Yes, I'm really curious to know "Why this iPhone case matters.")
I suspect this is an artifact of AI-generated writing?
Why this matters: It's driving me nuts.
Why this matters: Seeing these sorts of "tells" makes me less interested in reading whatever is sporting this phrase.
In writing, emphasizing the conceptual takeaway for something can often be super helpful. But in today's fast-moving digital landscape, erm, with the volume of information being flung about these days, ideally if/when people use GenAI, what it generates would serve only as a draft. Subject to be refined. Condensed.
Why this matters: Are these sorts of apparent AI tells synonymous with lazy writing and/or thinking?
@euroinfosec Pretty sure this was a journalistic tic long before LLMs existed.
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@euroinfosec Effects of textual homogenization and some sort of regression toward the mean.
There are "all" these indicators, or small bits of tell-tell signs, that gives that AI-generated vibe.
Hard to pinpoint exactly when and what, but you kinda know it when you read it
@nopatience Spot on — you get that chill down your spine going "I don't think this was written by a human." Chill gets even stronger with poorly subtitled videos on social media that hilariously have nothing to do with the actual video.
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@euroinfosec Pretty sure this was a journalistic tic long before LLMs existed.
@wollman Arguably the LLMs learned it from somewhere? But whereas maybe it was a marketing doc cherry on the top, I'm seeing it become widespread across many different types of writing/outlets. Not just Amazon reviews but Facebook recaps of long-gone schlock TV episodes.
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"Why this matters." As a cybersecurity journalist who receives a ton of pitches from PR folks, and who regularly and happily combs through research reports and blogs, I'm seeing the increasing use of "why this matters" as a phrase or subhead in written material. Also further afield in LinkedIn posts and even crowdsourced product reviews. (Yes, I'm really curious to know "Why this iPhone case matters.")
I suspect this is an artifact of AI-generated writing?
Why this matters: It's driving me nuts.
Why this matters: Seeing these sorts of "tells" makes me less interested in reading whatever is sporting this phrase.
In writing, emphasizing the conceptual takeaway for something can often be super helpful. But in today's fast-moving digital landscape, erm, with the volume of information being flung about these days, ideally if/when people use GenAI, what it generates would serve only as a draft. Subject to be refined. Condensed.
Why this matters: Are these sorts of apparent AI tells synonymous with lazy writing and/or thinking?
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@wollman Arguably the LLMs learned it from somewhere? But whereas maybe it was a marketing doc cherry on the top, I'm seeing it become widespread across many different types of writing/outlets. Not just Amazon reviews but Facebook recaps of long-gone schlock TV episodes.
@euroinfosec @wollman I suspect it's a qualia of news articles that's a natural evolution of clickbait headlines. "Why this matters" is both recognisable and generic enough that it can be used to lure a reader into continuing reading, because once you've gotten the attention of a reader through the headline, the next step is to bait the body of the article with subheaders meant to maintain engagement, specially if it's an article interspersed with ads.
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@jschauma Spot on! And with emojis to boot
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@jschauma Spot on! And with emojis to boot
@euroinfosec It's everywhere. It's so exhausting.
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@euroinfosec @wollman I suspect it's a qualia of news articles that's a natural evolution of clickbait headlines. "Why this matters" is both recognisable and generic enough that it can be used to lure a reader into continuing reading, because once you've gotten the attention of a reader through the headline, the next step is to bait the body of the article with subheaders meant to maintain engagement, specially if it's an article interspersed with ads.
@claus @wollman Qualia: Great word (had to look it up).
Definitely a big yes/thumbs-up to clickbait tactic evolution. Really good point you make there. Also about how it's evolved past headlines and page layout to the choice/flow of the text itself.
Thankfully at least some things now (recipes, at least) you can often just click a box ("go to recipe") to avoid the "engagement" drivel.
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@euroinfosec It's everywhere. It's so exhausting.
@jschauma Right? It is SO exhausting.
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"Why this matters." As a cybersecurity journalist who receives a ton of pitches from PR folks, and who regularly and happily combs through research reports and blogs, I'm seeing the increasing use of "why this matters" as a phrase or subhead in written material. Also further afield in LinkedIn posts and even crowdsourced product reviews. (Yes, I'm really curious to know "Why this iPhone case matters.")
I suspect this is an artifact of AI-generated writing?
Why this matters: It's driving me nuts.
Why this matters: Seeing these sorts of "tells" makes me less interested in reading whatever is sporting this phrase.
In writing, emphasizing the conceptual takeaway for something can often be super helpful. But in today's fast-moving digital landscape, erm, with the volume of information being flung about these days, ideally if/when people use GenAI, what it generates would serve only as a draft. Subject to be refined. Condensed.
Why this matters: Are these sorts of apparent AI tells synonymous with lazy writing and/or thinking?
@euroinfosec Or, it could be, that we all see that what does matter, is being ignored and we are trying to make a point that it does... Could be AI tho. In reality though, the cybers is a business now, and as such, has all the attendant fuckery instead of meaning and comprehension.
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@euroinfosec @wollman I suspect it's a qualia of news articles that's a natural evolution of clickbait headlines. "Why this matters" is both recognisable and generic enough that it can be used to lure a reader into continuing reading, because once you've gotten the attention of a reader through the headline, the next step is to bait the body of the article with subheaders meant to maintain engagement, specially if it's an article interspersed with ads.
@claus @euroinfosec It feels very classic USA TODAY tbh. (Which probably means that it isn't.)
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@claus @euroinfosec It feels very classic USA TODAY tbh. (Which probably means that it isn't.)
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@euroinfosec Or, it could be, that we all see that what does matter, is being ignored and we are trying to make a point that it does... Could be AI tho. In reality though, the cybers is a business now, and as such, has all the attendant fuckery instead of meaning and comprehension.
@krypt3ia Spot on about the AF. Print it and ship it, at scale.
Seems to increasingly stick out like a sore thumb though?
Total cognitive mood killer.
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@krypt3ia Spot on about the AF. Print it and ship it, at scale.
Seems to increasingly stick out like a sore thumb though?
Total cognitive mood killer.
@euroinfosec I think, the internet is becoming homogenized by algo's and AI. That said, it is all a mood killer. The state of the world is pretty crappy.
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@euroinfosec I think, the internet is becoming homogenized by algo's and AI. That said, it is all a mood killer. The state of the world is pretty crappy.
@krypt3ia ... and "now with AI inside!" (tm)
