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Words and Phrases
AI Ruined (for now)

Just the overused, hackneyed, AI slop words and phrases we’ve pulled out of our own messaging. They might be helpful for other people too.

From Anne and the agentic leadership team at She Leads AI

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On the approved list — ✓ CREATE ✓ Conference ✓ Gather ✓ Matriarchy ✓ Care ✓ She Leads AI
01

Hard Stops

Words we do not use, in any context, in any document. Strip them as modifiers too — “genuine track record,” “truly committed,” “authentic voice.” The noun does the work.

realactuallyhonest / honestly / honestygenuinetrulyauthenticfluffmattersmatterroomincrediblysystem (when used generically)surface-levelthe work (as tagline)doing the workcarrying aroundgarden (as a noun for a content collection)naminglanding for youwalk / walked / walking (as a metaphor for action or movement)run, don’t walkown / owns / owned / ownershipcarry / carries / carriedcircling / circle (as hesitation framing)sat with / sitting with / sit withshow up / shows up / showed up / showing uppivoted / pivotbrought (as a summary or filler verb)cheesy / cheesename / names (as a rhetorical action verb)
Also approved — ✓ Founder ✓ Entrepreneur ✓ Leader ✓ Building ✓ Community
02

Words, Phrases & Shapes
We Won’t Use

Two hundred and fifty words, phrases, sentence shapes, and quip patterns that get cut on sight. Some signal AI from a mile away. Some are tagline cadences. All get rewritten as plain statements.

Twenty-two sentence structures we kill on sight

  1. It’s not just A, it’s B
  2. Isn’t X, it’s Y (any variant of this construction)
  3. Now more than ever…
  4. What if I told you…
  5. This changes everything.
  6. Join the movement.
  7. Gone are the days of…
  8. We’re on a mission to…
  9. Let that sink in.
  10. Imagine a world where…
  11. The best part?
  12. Here’s why that matters.
  13. Say hello to…
  14. You’ll never believe…
  15. X is here to stay.
  16. Introducing the future of…
  17. You deserve…
  18. What matters
  19. Why it matters
  20. Actually work
  21. Rhetorical questions (any question asked for emphasis instead of inquiry)
  22. “Want to… / Ready to…” subheadings (any second-person desire-question used as a subheading)

Sixteen quip patterns — flag the shape, not just the words

Q1
Imperative + time-pressure
“Get on the calendar before the week gets away from you”
Why — Personifies time, retail-urgency cadence.
Q2
Three-beat tagline
“Follow the work. Join the conversation. Show up Saturday.”
Why — Sound-bite construction, fragment-as-rhythm.
Q3
Permission/choice softener
“Pick what fits.”
Why — Apologetic, filler, talks down.
Q4
Closure-and-rotation framing
“Apply by deadline. Once a window closes, the next opens later.”
Why — Inspirational-cycle cliché.
Q5
“We will tell you the moment…”
“We will email you the moment registration opens”
Why — Breathless retail copy.
Q6
Paired emotion + access
“Same heart, accessible from anywhere”
Why — Greeting-card cadence.
Q7
Italic flourish line above a section title
“in their words” / “stay close” / “on the calendar now”
Why — Eyebrow in disguise — see eyebrow ban.
Q8
“Stay With Us / Connect With Us” + framing line
“Stay With Us — Follow the work. Join the conversation.”
Why — Newsletter sign-off cliché.
Q9
Cinematic anticipation
“This is the year we…” / “What if we…”
Why — Reveal-style writing, not Anne’s voice.
Q10
Reciprocal hospitality
“Bring your X, leave with your Y”
Why — Workshop-flyer cadence (note — context-dependent; the Member Jam blurb survives because it describes a literal working session, but treat as suspect).
Q11
Aphoristic “once you X, you cannot un-X”
“Once you have been seen, you cannot unsee yourself”
Why — Sounds like a poster.
Q12
Meta-CTA cuteness
“that is what these links are for”
Why — Self-aware wink instead of a clean call to register.
Q13
“Bigger” + abstract noun stand-in
“They reach for bigger language”
Why — Vague substitute for what was actually said.
Q14
Diminutive-poetic
“the word too small for what happens to them”
Why — Precious construction; just say what the word fails to capture.
Q15
Print-vs-practice parallel
“values printed on the website / practiced in the program”
Why — Rhetorical parallel trick; say plainly what is on the site and what happens.
Q16
Two-beat fragment tagline
“One Move. The Whole Year.”
Why — Bumper-sticker cadence; flagged 2026-05-28 by Anne as an example of “a quip we absolutely don’t need.” Cut any two-fragment “[Short noun phrase]. [Short noun phrase].” that functions as a sign-off or section close.

Six twee tells (Anne’s verdict — “ewwww”)

  1. bigger language
  2. the word too small / too small for what happens
  3. lands hard
  4. were already belonging / “were already [gerund]” as state
  5. the most concentrated expression of
  6. the parts most events forget

One hundred and fifty-two banned phrases

At the forefront of…Bleeding edgeBoiling the oceanBoots on the groundBridging the gapBuild what’s nextCatalyzing changeCharting a new courseCrafting compelling narrativesCutting edgeDemocratizing accessDelve into the intricacies of…Digital ageDigital ecosystemDive inDoing the workDriving impactEat our own dog foodElevate your experienceEmpowering individualsExciting news!Forward-thinkingFuture-proofGame-changing / Game-changerGet itGlobal ProsperityGroundbreakingHarnessing the power of…Helping you navigate…Highest-leverageHolistic approachHuman-CentricHyper-focused on…I hope you are doing well / I hope you are wellIgnite innovationImagine…Important to consider…In conclusionIn the dynamic world…In the XYZ world…In the realm of…In these unprecedented timesInflection pointInnovative breakthrough solutionsInside your AIInspiring the next generationJoin us on this journeyLeading the chargeLearn to lead (positions audience as not-yet-there)Level upLimitless potentialLose yourself…Making wavesMaximizing potentialMission-drivenMix and matchMove the needleNavigating the [landscape] / [complexities of]…New heightsNext-genOut of the boxParadigm shiftPassionate go-getterPioneering solutionsPicture thisPillars (in public-facing copy)Push the envelopeRedefining the futureReinventing the wheelRevolutionizing the industrySeamless integrationSecret weaponShaping the futureShare this with every woman you know who’s building somethingSharp skills and strong ideas (generic flattery)She Adopts AI (retired name)Shifting landscapeSitting onSitting with (fake-reflective filler)Soft skillsStaying ahead of the curveStay in the Effect (not a thing)Step intoStep back in time…StorybookTake it to the next levelThe power of AIThink outside the boxThought leaderTouch baseTrailblazingTrue potentialTrusty sidekickUnlocking new possibilitiesUnleashUnlockUnveilUshering in an eraWeekend bootcampWomen building at the intersectionWomen who are building somethingWomen who are doing the workGather to buildactively (as a filler prefix)amplifyand we’ll talk (1:1)Applied AI Reportbuild (used as filler in place of a precise verb)EF Consultingfinished asset in handgrandfathered / grandfathered rate / grandfathered memberhappenedhold / holding / holds (as a verb in hook or outcome language)I runproducingstarts here / launch-pad variantswatch what happens / dramatic cinematic phrasingwon’t say out loud / mind-reading framingworth doing / worth keepingzone of geniusBuild With AI / build with AItrained / training (in metric or outcome copy)Read the Latest (as a CTA)Save My Seat / Save My Spot (as a CTA)Registration is open / Registration Is Open (as email or page framing for CREATE)journey (as the arc/path word)Move beyond codetrained / train / trainingupskilled / upskill / upskillingsupported / support (as vague coaching filler)container (as coaching jargon for a cohort)trainerSee the Program (as a CTA or link label)land (bare verb)seat (as a word)schoolquiet argumentstill thinking aboutstill sitting withsitting withreinvention / reinventalongsidehold / holds“the membership that keeps women alongside you all year”“Yah, Let’s SLAI”“gathering place for women in human-centered AI” (CREATE and gatherings)Groups of three (#226)“train / training”out loudbeatsit down withsat / held / hold the space

Fifty-four cliché words — never as standalone descriptors

AficionadosAmpleArgueAstonishingBeaconBlendBoastingBuckleCaptivateCaptureCompadreComprehensiveConquerConveyingDiscoverDynamicsElevateEmbarkEmbraceEmbodyEmergeEnhanceEnsureEscapeExcelsExploreFigureFoster / FosteringHarnessIlluminatedImmerseInteractionsIntricateIntriguingKeenLandscapeMasteringMysteryNestledNotablyParamountPhysiquePivotalProwessRelaxRevolutionaryRoamSynergyTransformVibrantVitalVulnerableWanderSharp

Flag the Shape,
Not Just the Words

When a sentence matches one of these shapes, default to FLAG. Rewrite as a plain statement. If the only way to keep the meaning is to keep the cadence, hand it to a human. Do not approve silently.

And these stay — ✓ Hello ✓ Practice ✓ Together ✓ Hosting ✓ Gather
03

Bias Tells

Words and phrases that assume a body, a brain, a culture, or a class. Most are harmless in literal use and exclusionary as metaphor. Default to the plain alternative. This list grows the most often — send us yours.

Mobility — not everyone walks

walk / walked / walkingrun, don’t walkstand up forstep upstep intoon your feethit the ground runninglamecrippled by

Vision — not everyone sees

see what I meanlook at it this wayturn a blind eyeblind toin plain sightvision (as goal-setting)

Hearing — not everyone hears

hear me outfall on deaf earstone-deaflisten up

Mental health and neurodivergence

crazyinsanenutsOCD (as verb)ADD (as verb)bipolar (as adjective for a situation)spaz / spasticmanic (as adjective for hectic)

Gendered defaults

guys / you guysmanpowerman hoursman upfounding fathersgirls (for adult women)

Cultural appropriation

tribespirit animalpowwowguruninja (as job descriptor)circle the wagonsoff the reservation

Racial coding

blacklist / whitelistmaster / slave (in tech)grandfatheredpeanut gallerygypped / gyp

Class

first-world problemsghetto (as adjective)low-classtrailer trash

Personality labels — frameworks imposed on people

SkepticEnthusiastDelegatorResearcherProtectorAvoider

This category is a working draft. The She Leads AI community keeps adding to it. If you catch something we missed, send it to hello@sheleadsai.ai.

04

Structural Rules

Punctuation, formatting, and structural habits we hold to. These apply to every piece of copy that ships from She Leads AI.

  1. No colons in titles, headings, subheadings, or list items. Hardly ever use colons at all.
  2. No semicolons. Ever.
  3. No groups of three. Never write “A, B, and C” lists. Use one or two items instead.
  4. No period tricks for voice. “Every. Single. Day.” is outdated.
  5. No fragment tricks for voice. “Thinking about it. Finishing one. Starting the next one.” is a cheat.
  6. No cuteness with punctuation.
  7. No emojis in newsletter copy.
  8. No motivational cliches, tech-bro phrasing, or tagline-sounding sentences.
  9. No attendance numbers in public-facing copy. Never “500+ women” or “200 attendees.”
  10. No IP/permission disclaimer paragraphs in artifact footers. Do not include “these tools are the intellectual property of…” or “redistribution without permission is prohibited” language.
  11. Never say “15 minutes” or specify how long a tool or prompt takes. The time isn’t the point and it may take longer.
  12. Never stack three heading elements (H1/H2/H3 or styled equivalents) back to back. Max two, prefer one. A third stacked heading is a structural flag.

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CREATE 2026
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Anne Murphy

Anne Murphy

Anne Murphy is founder of She Leads AI, an AI Academy grounded in powerful community. A responsible AI practitioner and educator advancing women in AI, she has educated more than 4,000 professionals in responsible AI use.

Anne is co-author of the Framework for Responsible AI in Fundraising and co-host of The Daily AI Show. She is also co-founder of Moxxee, a donor engagement platform built by fundraisers for fundraisers.

In addition to her work in AI, Anne serves as CEO of Empowered Fundraiser Consulting, with 33 years of experience and more than $10 billion in fundraising campaigns across nonprofit and higher education.

These companion guides are produced by Anne with her agentic leadership team.

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