I Asked AI to Write a Novel. It’s Not So Bad.
Read the original article at Mother Jones →
What the model flagged
Analyzed 2026-08-13 04:01 UTC. Articles are sometimes updated after publication — if a quote below isn't in the current version, the piece has changed since.
Findings may include language the outlet is quoting rather than asserting. We flag manipulation techniques wherever they appear, including inside quotations — so check each quote against the original before drawing a conclusion about the outlet.
Exaggeration/hyperbole 85%
The phrase 'extinction-level event' dramatically overstates the threat to writers by borrowing catastrophic language typically reserved for mass species die-offs — for example: 'extinction-level event'
“extinction-level event”
Loaded Language 70%
The word 'expropriation' carries a strong negative connotation implying theft or seizure, going beyond neutral description — for example: expropriation of work
“expropriation of work produced by authors, journalists, and other humans”
Name Calling 75%
'Big Tech master' is a derogatory label applied to AI companies to discredit them rather than describe them neutrally — for example: Big Tech master
“its Big Tech master”
Conspiracy Appeal 76%
Hidden plots, secret coordination, or shadowy actors invoked to explain away evidence.
Appeal To Fear 65%
Opens with a fear-invoking question about AI to prime the reader with anxiety — for example: 'Worried about AI?'
“Worried about AI?”
Repetition 45%
Repeats key words or phrases to hammer ideas into the audience and make them seem more credible through familiarity — for example: "say" ×3.
“"say" ×3”
Black-And-White Fallacy 70%
Presents only two outcomes — either you struggle and become a real writer, or you use AI and are merely 'a person with nice sentences' — ignoring nuance — for example: 'you're just a person with nice sentences'
“you're just a person with nice sentences”
Glittering Generalities 65%
Vague, emotionally positive terms like 'imagination, innovation, and ingenuity' are used as rhetorical flourish to elevate human-made content without specific substantiation — for example: 'accomplishments of imagination, innovation, and ingenuity'
“accomplishments of imagination, innovation, and ingenuity”
Analyzed automatically with Biasly's fine-tuned model. These are manipulation techniques, not political tilt — and finding one is not a claim that the article is false. The model has known false positives on strong-but-legitimate language, so treat each finding as a prompt to read closely, not a verdict. How articles are chosen →