How to Tell if Your MedComms Content Was Written by AI: A Guide to Spotting the Usual Suspects

You have just received the draft you have been waiting for all day. At first glance, it looks flawless: no typos, impeccable grammar, and not a single comma out of place. But as you start reading, something feels slightly off... The sentences are too long and convoluted, the concepts seem stuck in a loop of increasing discombobulation, and the whole thing just feels... a bit weird, to say something positive. The doubt creeps in: Is this the result of one too many editorial rounds, or did someone sneak in some AI-generated copy? At this point, all you want to do is return the draft to its authors, asking for a human to thoughtfully revise it. But deep down, you know there is no time for that, and this draft might be as good as it gets. All you can hope for is that the referencing is accurate and the data integrity is well preserved.

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry - you are not alone in this existential crisis. AI has gotten scarily good at mimicking human writing, but there is still something soulless about it. Editing synthetic copy and bringing it back to life is quickly becoming a important skill for MedComms. Sometimes, all it takes is adding something a bit odd - a comma slightly out of place, or a sentence that’s just a bit too short - to make the content feel more approachable and relatable. And, in the industry, ensuring that references and facts are truly fair and balanced, rather than just algorithmically popular, is just as crucial.

After many hours of trying to get back AI content into shape, here’s my personal list of terms that AI loves to use and has infiltrated in MedComms materials. For an extra bonus, I’ve even asked an AI why they like them so much.

Delve into

Delve became the go-to word for MedComms professionals when examine, explore, or research had already been overused. It also served when we wanted to emphasize just how thorough those efforts had been. In its defense, AI argues that delve is a useful word, communicating the depth and detail often sought in informative responses.

In This Competitive Landscape

Not even AI can make an excuse for overusing this one. While it’s true that the industry is highly competitive, using this phrase ad nauseam at the start of every piece becomes a crutch that makes meaning blend into the noise. The alternatives are all too familiar: In today's market, amidst fierce competition, and in this cutthroat environment. Even the more descriptive navigating a crowded marketplace doesn’t add much value to the content.

User-centric

Patient. Not customer or user. Patient is the preferred word for the industry. Beyond expressing the industry’s commitment to human health and adhering to regulatory requirements, using patient demonstrates empathy and compassion for those experiencing illness. Patients are not merely numbers on an user card - they are people in need of medical help.

Actionable Insights

The term actionable insights started gaining traction in the early 2000s as businesses began focusing on data-driven strategies. In Pharma, these insights are often tied to market research or consultant presentations. AI acknowledges that the term might have become repetitive, but insists that providing information and completing tasks as instructed is part of the job.

Deep dive

Do not confuse deep dive with its close cousin delve. While a deep dive emphasizes the depth and intensity of exploration, delve suggests a more step-by-step process. AI favors deep dive for its conciseness - it is a short, impactful term that efficiently conveys thorough examination. Plus, it's popular, they say.

Future-proof

As the future becomes increasingly more and more uncertain, the term future-proof has emerged to express the need for anticipation and adaptability. It’s now synonymous with long-term planning, ongoing optimization, and transformative action. AI got very salty with this question. In no uncertain terms, they insisted that future-proof aligns closely with AI core principles and they will continue to use it as much as they deems necessary.

A perfect storm

Originally coined by meteorologists to describe unusually severe storms, perfect storm gained popularity after the book and film of the same name. It made its entrance into the business jargon lexicon to describe situations where multiple factors converge to create a particularly challenging or negative outcome. AI argues that perfect storm remains a vivid and concise way to capture complex scenarios resulting from a mix of circumstances.

In this day and age

This term has been around for a while, and it offered a convenient way to contrast the present with a perceived simpler past. Or, to describe things that should have advanced but have instead become stagnated. AI often uses it as a placeholder while processing information and formulating a response. A mere linguistic crutch, as they recognize on their own accord.

Disruptive Technology

The quintessential Silicon Valley startup buzzword, disruptive technology emerged around the 2000s, as rapid technological change reshaped industries. Pharma, however, has the tradition of prioritizing stability over radical shifts. Drug development is a lengthy, complex process where patient safety is sacred. Ultimatelly, innovation must never compromise outcomes and disruption is best avoided. This term should be deleted as soon as it’s spotted.

So, there you have it - a quick guide to spotting AI-generated content. If your document is filled with platitudes, this might be the right time to call in your friendly MedComms copywriter. After all, only a human can truly capture the nuance, creativity, and occasional sarcasm...

Note: This article was written and researched with the assistance of AI tools. While AI can be a valuable aid in content creation, there was indeed a human who created, wrote, and edited the article to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information.