OPINION: When Did Ordinary English Words Become Evidence of AI?

OPINION · PAPERBYAI · SUNDAY SPECIAL EDITION
Sunday, October 25, 2026 · Part 2 of 4

In aviation, Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and the rest of the ICAO spelling alphabet provide standardized terminology designed to reduce misunderstandings across languages, accents, and communication conditions.

That illustrates an important point: The repeated use of particular words is not evidence that something was written by AI.

Some words and expressions are universal, standardized, profession-specific, or deliberately chosen because they are easier for people—including non-native English speakers—to understand.

Plain language, familiar terminology, controlled vocabulary, and consistent phrasing can improve comprehension.

Removing useful words simply because someone has placed them on a list of expressions supposedly generated by AI can actually make communication less effective.

Imagine discouraging a teacher, health professional, technical writer, or customer service representative from using clear, familiar language because an automated system might consider it suspicious.

Would that improve communication, or merely encourage people to write unnaturally to satisfy an algorithm?

Good communication is not about banning English words because someone has decided they are “AI generated.”

It is about communicating effectively with the people you are trying to reach.

And if a particular audience is comfortable reading AI-assisted or AI-generated content, that matters too.

The audience, not an arbitrary list of supposedly “AI words,” should help determine whether the communication is appropriate and effective.

Source context: ICAO: International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet.